4 minute read
Never let the bullies grind you down
After 50 years in the unions, 14 of them at ASMS, Senior Industrial Officer Lloyd Woods is retiring in January leaving behind an anti-bullying legacy.
Matt Shand | Journalist
Exactly 14 years to the day of walking into ASMS' offices to start work as an industrial officer, Lloyd Woods will be walking out for the last time and retiring from a lifetime of union work.
“I like things to be neat and tidy,” he said about the timing. “It seemed right.”
Lloyd has spent much of his working life involved in the union movement, starting as a delegate at a glass factory before working at a polytechnic and becoming involved in the Association of Staff in Tertiary Education (ASTE) when he was teaching automotive engineering.
“I eventually became Vice President of that union and then President from 2003 to 2007,” he said.
This long history in union positions opened doors for Lloyd to take up a role at ASMS.
“It was a bit different as I did not have a law degree which was the previous standard for industrial officers. I did have a lot of experience and had worked at a national level.
“I have always described this work as being on the side of the angels. That is not to say the employers are devils, but it is work towards the good and it is important.
“Doctors are humans and can make mistakes. I always view us as guardians of the process. It is not for us to determine guilt, assess a medico-legal issue or defend the indefensible, just to make sure the process is fair throughout.”
Bullying prevention is a particular focus for Lloyd.
“I’ve had a horror of it since I was a kid, while I never really suffered from it, it’s not something I put up with and I really hate it,” he said.
“Growing up with parents from Liverpool we had strong accents which required some speech training to resolve. I remember being bullied over that a little bit, but I stood up to every kid that gave it and I would not put up with it.
“All my years in unions have been to ensure people are given a fair go, not subject to bullying, and I remember those lessons from my childhood.”
Lloyd with his grandkids
Along with Deborah Powell from the New Zealand Residents Doctors Association, Lloyd was involved in an anti-bullying taskforce.
“I think we can both claim we got the ball rolling on that front,” Lloyd said.
“We still have issues with doctors being bullied as well as allegations against doctors. When you look at the training of doctors its still very much an apprenticeship model. The whole idea of a senior doctor yelling at a registrar was not unknown and, given many people teach the way they were taught, certainly this went through the ranks in the past. But this is no longer acceptable. It required a cultural change.”
Over the past 14 years he has seen changes at ASMS first hand. “We used to only have 3,500 members and there were just two industrial officers plus Henry Stubbs as senior. We have recruited heavily since then.
“The other change is the number of non-DHB doctors getting collective agreements through our services. Former Deputy Executive Director Angela Belich got this going and handed the baton to me about 12 years ago. I think I can claim to have made a difference through my non-DHB work. It is a green field for our union.”
“We now have 22, soon to be 25, collective employment agreements covering doctors throughout New Zealand working outside of what is now Te Whatu Ora."
After 50 years in the workforce, Lloyd says he is looking forward to retirement. “I am not going to miss working. I have done 50 years of it. But I will miss the colleagues and people I have met and helped along the way. I intend to keep up with people wherever I can and my partner Sheryl and I will host our annual barbecue with all invited.
“It’s been a privilege to work with our members who are an extraordinary group of people. I now look forward to spending more time with my grandkids.”
