No cost of living increase for health workers
new-zealand-labour-party
Tue Jun 02 2009 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
No cost of living increase for health workers
Tuesday, 2 June 2009, 4:23 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
2 June 2009 Media Statement
Minister confirms no cost of living increase for frontline health workers
Minister of Health Tony Ryall has confirmed that there will be no increases in salaries for frontline health workers under his Government, Labour Health spokesperson Ruth Dyson says.
“Doctors, nurses, midwives and other frontline health workers will not even be receiving cost of living increases under the current Government, Tony Ryall confirmed in Parliament today,” Ruth Dyson said.
“This decision will drive increasing number of doctors and nurses overseas, making workforce shortages even worse.
“This year’s Budget made no allowance for salary increases for health workers or for increasing numbers of frontline health workers.
“This short-sighted approach means that the gap between medical salaries paid in New Zealand and overseas will widen, ensuring that our best and brightest medical graduates head offshore.
“This is a ridiculous decision by a Minister who has clearly failed to grasp long-term health issues, such as the importance of public health and the retention of medical staff.
“As workforce shortages increase, health services will be cut and it will be New Zealanders who will be worse off.
“If the Government can make $50 million available for a cycleway then surely it can make money available to pay our doctors and nurses a cost of living increase.”
Ms Dyson said increasing numbers of medical students in training, is pointless if you do not pay them the salaries they can earn elsewhere.
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“This is not about paying enormous salaries during a recession. It’s about ensuring that salaries for New Zealand trained medical professionals are attractive enough to keep them here and ensure the continuity of health services.
“Services are already being cut under this Government. Southland and Otago DHBs are looking at home support service cuts of around $10 million as a result of Tony Ryall's letter of expectation to those DHBs , West Coast is struggling to attract enough staff to maintain current services and Wairarapa DHB is looking at service reductions.
“There has been just six months of a National Government, yet service cuts are already a reality for many regions and they will only get worse,” Ruth Dyson said.
ENDS
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