Spotless workers are finally saying 'Pay up or get out' and are asking DHB's and the taxpayer to also say 'Pay up and get out'.

Over 800 Spotless workers in Public Hospitals take strike action on Wednesday 2 April over Spotless' refusal to pay them their pay increase agreed to nine months ago.  All other contractors in the sector, and the DHB's themselves, are now paying a base rate of $14.25p/h.

Spotless workers were locked out for 9 days last July over their wage negotiations.  That lockout ended with Spotless agreeing to a base wage rate of $14.25.  Nine months later they are now refusing to pay it.

The Service and Food Workers Union - Nga Ringa Tota (SFWU) is calling for Spotless to be kicked out of the health sector, because of their treatment of staff and because they are putting patient safety at risk by being unable to meet their service contract obligations to DHB's due to continuous industrial unrest.  Further, there is no cost advantage to DHB's to contract out these services because the contractors have now agreed to pay the same wage rates as directly employed staff.  

"In fact, the NZ taxpayer is being short-changed twice by this Australian corporate.  First, when they pay a large profit margin to Spotless, thereby making their service delivery more expensive than directly employed services, then the NZ taxpayer gets short-changed again when Spotless refuses to pay its staff wage rates they have been funded for by the Government/taxpayer." said Shane Vugler, SFWU Industrial Coordinator.
 
"SFWU is seeking urgent meetings with DHBNZ to discuss whether it is still appropriate that private companies profit from public health by contract labour."
 
"Spotless is the largest provider but with 40% of DHBs directly employing staff we say there is no place for private profiteers."
 
"Who is being short-changed?  We say that the public and our members are being short-changed."

END
 
For Further information:
 
Shane Vugler
Industrial Co-ordinator
(027) 544 6941