Payment of strikers

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32660, 16 July 1971, Page 8

Payment of strikers

Sir,—As one who believes in the cause of the striking psychiatric and psychopaedic nurses, though not the strike action, and who worked consistently at Templeton during the strike, I wish to question the Health Department’s decision to pay normal wages to the strikers. This action I believe to be contrary to strike principles and will, I believe, adversely affect public opinion in this important controversy. We are led to understand that the decision was based on the fact that the nurses were on call in case of emergency. Disregarding strike situations, many people in our community are on call in emergencies. Do they get paid for (his? One action I could suggest is that the nurses contribute a substantial portion of this pay packet to specific improvements to working conditions in the villa or section they themselves work in. Goodness knows, there are plenty of improvements to be made, obvious and urgent—Yours, etc..

MARY CROZIER. July 13, 1971.

Sir,—There can be little question that New Zealand is now a well-fed State. The other day we heard that nurses who were on strike in the psychiatric hospitals dispute are to be paid for their efforts. Our ouarrel is

not merely about the causal difficulties of this situation, but about the consequences. This is one small step for the balance of payments, one giant step for western society; a new truism: "Eoual pay for equal strikes.” The workers now rest, assured that the country is run by kindly old computers (with nice houses in the suburbs). We know that “the likes of us” cannot dare to question the dark decisions of our lords, but should we strike while the irony is hot? Yours, ete., STUDENTS. July 13, 1971.