"Outrage and anger" are the dominant feelings of southern radiographers who have declared a 24-hour strike in support of northern members suspended for taking industrial action, southern union organiser Bernadette Gourley says.
Radiographers will strike on September 7, after Counties Manukau and Auckland District Health Boards suspended seven radiographers this week for taking industrial action.
The radiographers' union, Apex, is in a pay dispute with District Health Boards New Zealand (DHBNZ) and for months has taken rolling industrial action, such as no after-hours work.
Mrs Gourley said the dispute was about more than pay.
As important were terms and conditions relating to shifts and on-call work, she said.
On the table is a 1% pay rise, which the DHBs refuse to backdate to last September, when the radiographers' contract expired, Mrs Gourley said.
Radiographers would continue to provide life-preserving cover, as per their legal requirement.
Southern DHB diagnostics and support services (Otago) general manager Sonja Dillon said some outpatient services and elective work would need to be postponed because of the strike.
Affected patients would be notified of any changes.
The help of private providers was being sought to assist.
Acute cover would be maintained throughout the strike, she said.
DHBNZ spokeswoman Karen Roach said the decision of some health boards to suspend workers had not been taken lightly, but the boards could not afford to continue paying a full wage to employees who were participating in industrial action that affected services.
"[The] latest offer to the [radiographers] includes, among other things, pay increases in April and October 2010, improvements to the on-call allowance, a lump-sum payment, improvements to paid parental leave, and a collective agreement through to July 2011."
