Health NZ calls the offer a 'fair, reasonable' one
Health New Zealand is offering senior doctors salary increases between 3.5% and 11% in a new offer aimed at retaining the workforce.
The new offer to the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) states the increases would depend on experience and funding for incentives.
The offer, set to expire on August 31, states that:
- A first-year specialist would receive a $17,700 (9.5%) increase on base salary and all other salary-related remuneration (e.g. KiwiSaver).
- A second-year specialist would receive $11,800 (6.2%) increase on base salary and all other salary-related remuneration (e.g. KiwiSaver).
- These specialists would also receive a further increase of 1.5% over the course of the proposed settlement.
- Specialists on Step 4 and above would see increases of between 3.5% and 3.8% applied over a 21-month period.
Robyn Shearer, Health New Zealand Executive Lead Industrial Relations, added that they are investing $34 million to fund incentives that will seek to retain senior doctors in areas and services that have been hard to staff.
"We encourage the union to take this offer to their members," Shearer said in a statement.
"We value our doctors and want to do the best we can for them. We are committed to reaching a settlement with ASMS and we believe the offer made today is a fair and reasonable one."
Still a 'real term pay cut'
But Sarah Dalton, executive director of the ASMS, said the offer still means a pay cut for the workforce.
"When you annualise that, they are between 2.1 and 3.2% annually. Ninety per cent of our members under this offer would receive about 1.16% per year," Dalton said as quoted by Radio New Zealand.
"So yet another under CPI [consumer price index] real term pay cut for senior doctors and dentists."
Senior medical and dental officers who are members of the ASMS have been carrying out strike actions in May and June as Health NZ's offer remains below the CPI.
Health NZ has been facing a series of strikes from healthcare workers over ongoing salary disagreements.
In late July, more than 36,000 Health NZ nurses, midwives, and healthcare assistants carried out strike action as the dispute over their collective agreement continues.
