Around 250 Nurse Maude support workers are set to strike again on Monday, 7 September, as an ongoing employment dispute over pay and sick leave continues.

The Public Service Association says workers remain unhappy after Nurse Maude did not return with a new proposal following earlier strike action in July and August.

The union says the dispute centres on two main issues: pay and proposed changes to sick leave entitlements.

PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said workers were disappointed that the employer had not put forward what the union considers a reasonable pay offer.

She also said workers were concerned about the removal of two sick leave days.

According to the PSA, Nurse Maude workers first took strike action on 31 July and again on 10 August.

The latest strike is scheduled for 7 September, with another planned for 14 September if the dispute remains unresolved.

Union calls for improved offer

The PSA says it wants Nurse Maude to improve its pay offer and withdraw the proposed reduction in sick leave.

Fitzsimons said the union believed Nurse Maude was out of step with other publicly funded employers that provide additional sick leave for workers in similar roles.

The PSA has also filed for facilitation through the Employment Relations Authority in an effort to help resolve the dispute.

Pickets planned across several regions

Strike action on 7 September is expected to include pickets in Nelson, Christchurch, Lower Hutt, Porirua and Kapiti.

In Nelson, workers are expected to gather outside Nurse Maude’s offices at Kidson Place in Stoke from 8am.

In Christchurch, a picket is planned near the organisation’s Mansfield Avenue premises from 8.30am.

Other pickets are expected in Avalon, Lower Hutt, Mana in Porirua and near the intersection of Te Roto Drive and Kapiti Road.

Dispute has continued for more than a month

The latest action follows several weeks of industrial tension between the workers and their employer.

The PSA says workers are prepared to continue striking until progress is made on both pay and sick leave.

At this stage, the material provided does not include a response from Nurse Maude to the latest PSA claims.

The dispute will now continue through further strike action and the Employment Relations Authority facilitation process unless both sides reach an agreement.

Source: Public Service Association press statement.