Bay of Plenty allied health workers are deflated from the ongoing failed pay negotiations that has resulted in strike action.

'Everyone's become a bit despondent due to this ongoing saga,” says Bay of Plenty Public Service Association delegate Rachel.

'It's not doing anything good for our morale.”

Allied health workers represented by the Public Service Association are taking strike action by working to rule and will withdraw labour for 24 hours on May 16.

The 10,000 members are asking for higher pay, equal treatment with other health professions, and action on safe staffing and retention.

Working to rule for the more than 400 allied health PSA members employed by the Bay of Plenty District Health Board means they are starting and finishing work on time and taking designated breaks.

Rachel says the majority of allied health workers worked overtime without pay and would not take breaks.

'Nine times out of 10 we're working through to get things done, or you have your snack or lunch at your desk while you fit in another piece of paperwork,” she says.

Even with the working to rule measures in place Rachel says it can be difficult to take breaks because you can't just leave a patient you're working with.

'Whether you're an OT [occupational therapist], social worker, counsellor people are struggling with that,” she says.

'We're just encouraging each other to ensure that we do start on time and that we make sure to leave on time.”

The PSA has been in pay negotiations with the DHBs for 18 months and in March the union was set to strike before the Employment Court ruled the strike was illegal.

The ongoing nature has taken its toll, says Rachel.

'People are just feeling so deflated this time around, the energy is a bit low.

'To think that that's how little our DHB thinks of us, that they've kept this going for 18 months now,” she says.

PSA organiser Will Matthews says: 'We have not received an offer that will pay this group of overworked and undervalued workers what they deserve.”

BOPDHB executive director allied health, scientific and technical and contingency planner Sarah Mitchell says the work to rule measures are not affecting services and there are contingency plans in place for the labour withdrawal.

'The BOPDHB is involved in contingency planning to mitigate the impact of this industrial action and has finalised the life preserving services,” she says.

Life preserving services are defined as providing care for the preservation of life and the prevention of disability.

'Ensuring the safety of our patients and staff is paramount throughout this period of industrial action and all affected services have contingency plans in place for it.”

Emergency theatres will be operating throughout the period of the industrial action and there will be some planned care in the theatres, but it will be reduced.

Any non-medical outpatient appointments planned for this period will also be rescheduled with affected patients in the process of being notified or have already been notified, says Mitchell.

'The BOPDHB accepts the right of individuals and organisations to take industrial action, however we do regret any inconvenience which may be caused to the people we serve,” she added.

Around 20 BOPDHB services are affected and include: occupational therapy, social work, dietetics, audiology, pharmacy, addiction services, speech and language therapy, newborn hearing screening, vision hearing, podiatry, cardiology services, clinical engineering, Toi Te Ora Public Health, dental services, community care co-ordination and support net, anaesthetic technicians and sterile services technicians, mental health, Te Pare о̄ Toi – Te Pou Kōkiri staff, counselling services, community health and medical day stay.

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