Senior doctors, dentists join stop-work meetings amid pay dispute with DHBs

 It comes after negotiations failed to reach an "acceptable agreement".
It comes after negotiations failed to reach an "acceptable agreement". Photo credit: Getty Images

Senior doctors and dentists will attend a series of stop-work meetings after pay negotiations with District Health Boards stalled. 

On Tuesday, representative body The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) announced a series of stop-work meetings will take place throughout August. 

The ASMS said it's been in talks with DHBs since February to negotiate a new multi-employer collective agreement, but the DHBs have failed to put an acceptable offer on the table.

"We are asking for a very modest pay rise to simply reflect cost of living increases and inflation, but the DHBs continue to come back with a zero percent increase," says ASMS executive director Sarah Dalton.

"We are very aware of the Government's public sector pay restraint advice, but every worker has the right to at least keep up with inflation and not see their pay go backwards in real terms."

Dalton said specialists are fatigued and suffering high levels of burnout as they juggle entrenched staffing shortages, overflowing hospitals and overstretched services which cannot keep up with patient demand.  She said they have also absorbed additional pressures due to COVID-19 backlogs.

ASMS is also negotiating to improve working conditions and doctor wellbeing amid burnout and safer staffing. Dalton said nearly everything has been rejected by the DHBs.

"It's time the Government started walking the talk on how much we value our health workers and treat them as an asset instead of a cost".

"We need our highly trained and skilled specialists to stay and support our health system, rather than encouraging them to up sticks and move to Australia where they can earn up to 60 percent more".

The only other time senior doctors attended stop-work meetings was in 2007 amid a bitter pay dispute. The meetings helped them come to an agreement and avoid strike action. 

The disagreement comes as nurses prepare for more strikes over working conditions and pay. 

Last week nurses voted to participate in two 24-hour strikes - on August 29 and September 9 - and another eight-hour strike on August 19.

They had held an eight-hour strike early last month before returning to negotiations with District Health Boards over pay and conditions.

A spokesperson for DHBs told Newshub they are currently negotiating with ASMS. 

"It's not appropriate to discuss details while talks continue. What we can say is we continue to engage in good faith and consistent with other health sector settlements and the government's expectation about employment relations and pay.

"Reporting back to members is part of the process and there is provision for paid stop work meetings which are planned for hospitals around the country."