Taking on the culture of ‘NO’

Sarah Dalton | Executive Director

I recently visited one of our larger hospitals to escalate a number of issues we have been struggling to resolve with senior management. Despite organised, persistent, and intelligent work by our industrial staff and our members, several easily fixed matters have become drawn out, hard to solve thorns in everybody’s side.

Why is that the case? Why is it so difficult for hospital middle and senior managers to make the jump from ‘good faith relationship’ to ‘this means paying staff correctly and being open to reviewing past decisions which may have caused disadvantage’?

I am not completely naïve, although I try to hang on to some optimism. To me, these blocking and stifling attitudes have become quite widespread across the hospitals, to the point that I am prepared to argue that the current system both promotes and relies on this type of negative interaction. It seems the first and final answer to reasonable requests is often ‘NO’.

Will the new system under Health NZ help us to knock down some of these barriers to positive and much needed change? Our early interactions with the Transition Unit and interim Health NZ staff suggest there is a will to do better. Certainly, the Board members of Health NZ and the Māori Health Authority are talking a strong game. The fact they have reached out to the health unions, sought engagement, and responded to our meeting requests, bodes well.

It seems the first and final answer to reasonable requests is often ‘NO’.

But we cannot rely on trickle down. The fact remains that many of the people who are currently saying NO as a routine response to reasonable requests and blocking urgently needed corrections to discriminatory pay and conditions arrangements will remain in their positions as we enter this new single-employer era. This offers both challenges and opportunities. Rest assured that should the new walk fail to match the new talk, we will be escalating issues rapidly to ensure fair and equitable terms and conditions are in place.

Black marks

Another pervasive culture across our hospitals is that stroppy doctors who make too much noise, whether it be about patient safety or unfair salary and remuneration, are issued with a black mark.

And the black mark travels around, making sure those difficult doctors don’t get promoted, don’t get asked to meetings, and don’t get a fair go. One of the entitlements we hold most dear in your MECA is its vigorous reinforcement of the importance of SMO/ SDO voice. If you aren’t speaking up, best care is not being planned or provided. If you are not in strategic meetings, new facilities will not be fit for purpose, best appointments will not be made, and decent working conditions for clinical staff will not be prioritised.

If you are in a ‘black marks’ workplace, let us know. We can help and won’t step away. Remember too that black marks can be a badge of honour and that saying and doing what is right is generally worth it in the long run.

A very fond farewell

And speaking of long runs, I would like to finish with a few words about our colleague Henry Stubbs, who is retiring this month after 28 years of service to ASMS and members, and after many more years of service to the wider union movement. [see article p14]

Many of you will know Henry, but you might not know how many ASMS staff he has educated and supported over the years. I have vivid memories of teaching sessions with Henry when I started in 2015, and I know every staff member has had similar experiences of being taught by Henry, coached and mentored by Henry and, occasionally, told off by Henry!

The wonderful thing is, for all his vast knowledge of health, of unions and the work we do, of the ASMS MECA (much of which he wrote) and of problem solving, Henry is still a learner in his work, and happily steps up to the plate when new approaches or information emerges.

We wish him the happiest of retirements and know he will be kept busy with his wide circle of family and friends.

I know every staff member has had similar experiences of being taught by Henry, coached and mentored by Henry and, occasionally, told off by Henry!

Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou.

This whakataukī teaches that in a world full of noise and confusion, wisdom and wellbeing will come when we ask questions with a genuine desire to understand the answers.

It perfectly sums up Henry’s approach to our work, and his example to us over the years.