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Anaesthetic technicians at Rotorua Hospital begin first of two 24-hour strikes today

January 23, 2019
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Anaesthetic technicians at Rotorua Hospital will begin the first of two planned 24-hour strikes today, starting at 8am, after failing to reach an agreement.

Mediation between the anaesthetic technicians and Lakes DHB are expected to begin tomorrow, followed by a second strike scheduled for 8am the following day, union Allied Scientific and Technical, also known as APEX, said in a statement.

It comes after the Employment Relations Authority turned down Lakes DHB's application for facilitation last November and after the union accused the DHB of stepping back from a previous offer - a "deal-breaker", the union says. 

"Lakes DHB knew how essential it was to our members that they get a decent chance to rest between their shifts," APEX advocate Luke Coxon said.

"Our members were shocked and appalled that the DHB would turn around and throw this already-agreed health and safety provision by the wayside."

Anaesthetic technicians have also taken the collective action of "working to rule" to ensure their health and safety, beginning yesterday.

The action includes finishing their shifts on time, refusing to work overtime and taking scheduled lunch breaks without interruption.

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