Gaining ground outside our DHBs

A good example

Leading the way forward is South Canterbury DHB, which responded promptly to our request for payroll information. Our industrial officer Kris Smith is working closely with their HR Department and the Chief Operating Officer, along with ASMS Branch President Peter Doran to investigate the data with a view to making corrections reasonably quickly. It’s an example of good practice, and we hope more DHBs will quickly follow suit.

The political context

Government MP Camilla Belich has submitted a members’ bill which would seek to amend the Employment Relations Act 2000 to allow employees to disclose their remuneration. The bill “would seek to ensure that employees can discuss and disclose their own pay rate to others without detrimental repercussions to their employment”. If this bill succeeds, it will further change the legislative context against genderbased pay discrimination and would be a welcome development in terms of ASMS’ work to achieve gender pay equity for members.

Lloyd Woods | Senior Industrial Officer

Through targeted recruitment, ASMS is steadily increasing its reach into organisations outside of DHBs.

Over the past five years, we’ve seen a 20% increase in membership in this sector, with a 9% increase in the past year alone. But there is much more work to be done.

Many years ago ASMS offered membership and assistance to all senior doctors and dentists employed anywhere across the health sector in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Historically, conditions of employment for salaried specialists, particularly GPs and some dentists, have been poorer than for their colleagues in DHBs, and it’s something ASMS has been actively working to change. We now have around 290 members in this group (about 6% of total membership) with collective agreements in the following organisations: • Hospices • ACC • Te Ru -nanga o Toa Rangatira (Ora Toa) • Wellington Union Health Services • Ministry of Health • Family Planning • Wellington Southern Community

Labs • Central Otago Health Services • NZ Blood Service • Waitaki District Health Services • Christchurch Union and Community

Health Centre • Hokianga Health Enterprise Trust • Golden Bay Community Health • COMPASS Health Wellington • Clutha Health • Otara Wha -nau Medical Centre • Ashburn Clinic • Nga - ti Porou Hauora Some of these collective agreements mirror or are close to mirroring the DHB MECA. We are currently in, or planning negotiations in, the New Zealand Defence Force, ESR, Gore Health and Nelson Hospice.

Recruitment

We are actively recruiting in any organisation which employs doctors and/or dentists, and there is a requirement for an annual practising certificate. All these employees are eligible for ASMS membership. Currently we are writing to dentists employed at Lumino and the bigger corporate GP providers to offer collective employment agreements to better recognise their work. We also encourage membership from smaller groups, down to individuals working on their own.

If you know any salaried specialist working outside of the DHBs, please advise them to give us a call or email lloyd.woods@asms.org.nz to talk about the benefits in joining ASMS.