Union disability support workers picketed outside the Nelson Hospital after they said they were offered an "insulting" pay offer during negotiations with Te Whatu Ora Nelson Marlborough.
By Max Frethey for Local Democracy Reporting
The Public Service Association (PSA) union represents 230 disability support workers and is seeking a greater pay increase than the 3% rise given by the Government due to the high cost of living and difficult conditions they work in.
But union members are frustrated with Te Whatu Ora's conduct during the ongoing bargaining process.
"I’ve done quite a few rounds of bargaining, and I’ve never met such actually disdainful resistance," said PSA delegate and support worker Amanda Gordon.
The union recently rejected a one-off $400 pro rata payment, with the promise of another $1,500 pro rata payment next year.
“It’s insulting and disgusting,” said Michael Corcoran, another union delegate and support worker. "I was appalled by the offer."
"[Te Whatu Ora] are making what I do out to be a joke," Gordon agreed. "I don’t feel like we’re asking for a lot."
PSA organiser Kate Davis said workers want both of those payments now, which she said would “nearly” keep their pay up with inflation.
Disability support workers do almost everything for their charges, from helping them dress, bathe, and go to the toilet alongside cooking, cleaning, medicating, providing emotional support, attending appointments, and cleaning up blood, vomit, and faeces when needed, while sometimes being subjected to violence in the complex needs houses.
"Anything to do with running their life, you are doing because they literally cannot do it on their own," Gordon said. "And you do this all with kindness and with good humour because you’re caring for a human being."
All these pressures are also exacerbated by being "horrendously" understaffed.
"The excess of hours some of our people are working at the moment are dangerous to them and, to an extent, for the people they care for," Corcoran said.
For Gordon and Corcoran, the Friday lunchtime picket was held to demonstrate to Te Whatu Ora that disability support workers were underappreciated and deserved better remuneration.
"Te Whatu Ora, you’re making us poorer," was the chant favoured by the picketers.
Currently, the entry-level pay for someone in disability support is $22.49 an hour, Corcoran said, just $1.20 more than minimum wage.
"Why would you do this job if you had an alternative?" Corcoran asked. "It’s a great job in many ways… but it’s grossly underpaid, underappreciated, undervalued, and underacknowledged."
Te Whatu Ora district director Lexie O’Shea said the agency wouldn’t comment on the ongoing negotiations with the union but applauded the disability support workforce.
"Our valuable staff do amazing work in our community, offering care, support and compassion to people with disabilities."
Gordon said it’s important for disability support workers to get adequate remuneration.
"One trip, one car accident, or a knock on the head, and you could be in a care and support service. Do you want those people to be paid for in a rate that they feel valued?"
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
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