Christmas strike for private hospital workers?

Press, 22 December 1986, Page 11

Christmas strike for private hospital workers?

Private hospital domestic workers in Canterbury may strike before Christmas

Canterbury workers voted on Friday morning to support a national campaign of industrial action. The secretary of the Canterbury branch of the Hotel and Hospital Workers’ Union, Mr Martin Moodie, said the industrial action could take any form from a strike to a work to rule. It could also vary from site to site. The meeting had elected a local disputes committee, which would organise any local action and co-ordinate it with action in other regions, Mr Moodie said. The com-

mittee will meet tomorrow morning. Mr Moodie said the workers had “strongly rejected” the employers offer of a 6.5 per cent wage increase. They wanted parity with public hospital workers, which would require an increase of more than 11 per cent.

Union officials would meet informally with local employers to “see if there’s any common ground” before tomorrow’s disputes committee meeting, Mr Moodie said. If no progress was made in those informal talks workers would take action either before Christmas or in the New Year.