Food service workers at Auckland Hospital walked off the job today after the district health board decided they will outsource hospital food from next year.
Workers are devastated and fear one in five food service jobs will be lost across Auckland.
Alofa Lemalu has prepared meals for patients at Auckland Hospital for 30 years.
"We're upset," she says. "What a time to bring us this decision. It's Christmas. What are we going to do? We can't enjoy Christmas."
The three Auckland Metro DHBs will bring in the new service next December and it could be progressively rolled out around the country.
The Auckland DHB says the 15-year contract could save the Auckland Metro DHBs approximately $80-90 million, which will be redirected into clinical services.
Around 300 food service workers across Auckland could be affected by the change, and despite the Auckland DHB saying staff will be able to transfer their employment to Compass Group, the union isn't convinced.
"We know that over the whole of the Auckland region it's about 20 percent of jobs – so one in five," says Jill Ovens. "But we also know at Counties Manukau, [and] at Middlemore it's going to be one in four jobs lost."
One director on the Auckland DHB says the decision was made too hastily.
"I said 'no, I'm going against it'. I just didn't feel confident, didn't feel certain," says Robyn Northey.
For the staff affected, their only hope now is that the Auckland DHBs will reconsider their decision, especially with Christmas just around the corner.
3 Newssource: newshub archive
