Work-To-Rule EXTENSIONS DISCUSSED

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31678, 14 May 1968, Page 1

Work-To-Rule EXTENSIONS DISCUSSED

Lake Alice Hospital psychiatric nurses are to discuss work-to-rule at a meeting this week, says a Press Association message from Wanganui.

The secretary of the hospital’s Public Service Association sub-section (Mr B. J. Craig) said yesterday that the views of all members would be sought in a thorough examination of the domestic duties controversy.

“I had discussions on the topic in Wellington last week and it does appear the situation will snowball,” he said. “We are more fortunate here in that we haven't had

as much trouble as experienced elsewhere, but 1 personally feel we have to back the other hospitals." Mr Craig added that the P.S.A. was backing action being taken in other hospitals, and would continue to do so. Despite the decision by the staff of several other mental hospitals to work-torule, the 120 members of the nursing staff at Seaview Psychiatric Hospital, Hokitika, are continuing as usual, says the Greymouth reporter of “The Press.” The secretary of the psychiatric nurses’ sub-group of the West Coast branch of the Public Service Association (Mr R. P. Roberts) said the nurses had held no discus-

sions on the matter and none was planned at present. I “So. far, we haven’t done anything,” he said!About 200 male and female nurses at Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital, Te Awamutu, have begun working to rule. The acting-superintendent of the hospital (Dr E. J. Hill)

said yesterday he thought the effects of the work-to-rule on the treatment of patients would be beneficial rather than detrimental. The protest would allow

nurses to spend more time with their patients, Dr Hill said. The nurses had refused, from midnight on Sunday, to carry out a number of domestic tasks which they considered outside their duties, said Mr A. L. Mills, chairman of the Tokanui sub-branch of the Public Service Association. Nursing staff at the Seacliff, Otago, group of hospitals began working to rule last night. A plan to meet the situation was invoked yesterday morning. “We don’t expect any difficulties and virtually no changes, with only minor areas affected,” said the acting medical superintendent (Dr L. H. Brett).