District health board chief executives will consider an offer from junior doctors next week, but a source told the Otago Daily Times that agreement was unlikely because of the degree of control junior doctors want to exert over the new rosters.
The source claimed it could mean Dunedin Hospital rosters would be governed in Auckland by union officials, rather than locally in Dunedin. New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association national secretary Deborah Powell was furious about the claim when contacted, saying she was sick of "behind-the-scenes stuff" emerging away from the bargaining table. DHBs have agreed to limit junior doctors to 10 consecutive days’ work, rather than 12, but appear unwilling to continue an existing provision that grants junior doctors control over roster changes.
Dr Powell said the provision was exercised periodically, and did not involve off-site union officials.
The spectre of Auckland union officials exerting control was "absolute and complete rubbish", she said.
"I am really sick of this. These CEOs are trying to use this dispute and our desire for safe hours to claw back long-standing terms and conditions of employment."
Dr Powell expressed frustration with how the negotiations were handled.
"At the table we get to a point, and then they go away and change their minds.
"We do not have the people at the table who are able to have the discussions with us and reach agreement.
"We’re getting all this behind-the-scenes stuff with people who have never attended the bargaining."
Dr Powell said she had left the negotiating table hopeful the doctors had a deal. From February 28, new junior doctor employees will be effectively forced to accept the DHBs’ preferred conditions because the existing contract expires.
"The DHBs will be able to offer [new employees] anything at all."
A spokesman for the DHBs said the boards’ employment relations strategy group met for five hours yesterday to discuss the junior doctors’ offer. That group was preparing advice for the 20 DHB chief executives, who would meet by the middle of next week for a decision.
Junior doctors went on strike on Tuesday for three days. The strike concludes at 7am today.
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Young Doctors Striking good on you don't give up, I feel for them and nothing should be taken from them, only given there should only be improvements. IMO there are not too many people out there that can't get a watch bill correct or sorted to make it fair. Having said that Seriously has anybody approached the Royal New Zealand Navy who run watch bills for ships of different sizes and ships companies from 30 to 180 people and for different situations and department as well as the shore establishments for there fire and emergency duty watches. My wife was working at a hospital as a receptionist and I was totally blown away by the lack of understanding these watch bill co-ords have, finishing at 1am then back on watch at 0800 the next day, no clues blues clues. My sister in law (Rip) was a Nurse in Australia and her watch bills where the same, totally clueless.
Sure the Royal New Zealand Navy watch bills might not be perfect but they might be able to adopt the RNZN's traditions and years of experience to sort the clowns out who expect them to work watch on stop on