Hospital linen staff move in

Press, 2 October 1982, Page 6

Hospital linen staff move in

After four months delay, staff of the new central linen services for Christchurch's public hospitals started moving into their new premises in the grounds of Sunnyside Hospital yesterday. ■ Since May, when the new building was due to be occupied, patients in Christchurch's public hospitals have had to put up with a shortage of towels and other linen.

First the building was not completed on time, then some of the new and reconditioned machinery was not installed, and finally industrial problems over redundancy agreements for staff who would not be able to work in the new building delayed the opening of the new laundry. “Agreement has been reached with the Laundry Workers’ Union and the Clothing Trades Union on terms and conditions for relocation of staff to the new central linen services building,” said Mr Denis Dwyer, information officer of the North Canterbury Hospital

Board, yesterday. “Two sewing room staff have accepted voluntary redundancy,” he said. “A small number of twilight-shift laundry workers, who cannot accept a transfer to the day shift at the new laundry, will also become redundant,”' he said. “However, this will not occur until the twilight shift finishes on November 5.” Terms for their redundancy had also been agreed. The first group of 20 laundry workers moved into the new building yesterday. Futher transfers from old hospital laundries in Christchurch would take place from now until the end of the year, he said. Mr Dwyer had said earlier ’that it could be about a month before the laundry was working to its full potential.

The old linen services have been run from three different sites: in the city, at Sunnyside, and at,Templeton. The new four-storey building brings all the services under one roof.