F.O.L. calls for free health care

Press, 12 May 1984, Page 2

F.O.L. calls for free health care

By

MICHAEL HANNAH,

in Wellington A free public health system was called for at the Federation of Labour’s annual conference yesterday. However, the conference balked at a remit urging that tax rebates on private medical insurance premiums be stopped, on the ground that many workers claimed the rebate, some of them because they were “required” to join private medical insurance schemes. A remit from the Wellington, Taranaki Caretakers and Cleaners’ Union was supported in part only. The conference endorsed the union’s proposal that support be reaffirmed for a “properly-funded public health and social welfare scheme” and that “the incoming Labour Government” be urged to “determine the amount of money needed that ensures there are sufficient hospitals and all required health support systems, including welfare payments,. doctors’ charges, etc.” But, the union failed to gain endorsement for a proposal that the health system be funded from its present percentage of taxes, with any shortfall being met by a special “health tax” on all wage and salary earners. A suggestion that the tax re-

bate on medical insurance premiums be ended was also lost. The conference also amended a remit from the Hotel Workers’ Association, calling for the phasing out of Government funding of private hospitals and old people’s homes, in favour of a Government service providing special attention to the elderly, the disabled and the terminally ill. Instead, the conference condemned private hospitals and old people’s homes as “undesirable, as profit is being made out of the infirmity of the aged, the disabled and the terminally ill.” It then called for positive

steps to be taken towards providing adequate Government facilities to meet all of the medical and nursing needs of this group. Another remit opposing the contracting out of health services, was carried. It demanded that hospital and area health boards do the work themselves. Union coverage of health services workers also came under scrutiny. The conference endorsed a remit opposing the Health Services Personnel Act, particularly its reference to union coverage and the compulsory change from award coverage to a State determination for hospital workers.