Whangārei Hospital staffers walk off the job to demand better pay and conditions

As the pay gap between private sector and public sector anaesthetic technicians widens, Whangārei Hospital staffers walk off the job to demand better pay and conditions. “Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff (APEX) union representative Dr. Deborah Powell told Morning Report 20 surgeries had been cancelled over the last two months because of short staffing. "At the moment surgery is getting cancelled to a population that deserves better, so we're taking a stand to get the situation rectified,” she said. "We have to retain our guys and we need to recruit more." She said it was up to the DHB to bridge the gap between what it was paying its anaesthetic staff and what the private sector was offering, which at present amounted to a $30,000 difference.”