Mapp Wayne: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Mapp Wayne: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:635;Page:6499] 
8.  
Dr WAYNE MAPP (National—North Shore) 
 to the  
Minister of Labour 
: Will she consider changes to the Employment Relations Act 2000 to limit the unrestricted right of radiographers and other crucial health staff to go on lengthy strikes as has been unanimously requested by the Canterbury District Health Board; if not why not? 
Hon RUTH DYSON (Minister of Labour) 
: 
 The right to strike is not unrestricted. Industrial action is not permitted in the first 40 days after bargaining is initiated. Industrial action in essential services requires that notice be given to the employer and to the Department of Labour who must then provide mediation to attempt to avoid the industrial action. There is also a requirement to provide life-preserving services as agreed between the Council of Trade Unions and District Health Boards New Zealand. These restrictions and requirements maintain balance in a modern health system and a modern employment relations regime. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Does that answer mean that she has not considered the Canterbury District Health Board’s request that hospital workers be deemed an essential service provider much like the police who have binding statutory procedures for settling disputes or is the Minister of Health just going to sit there and let more and more health workers go on strike? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: My answer to the primary question reflected the obvious fact that the member’s question was inaccurate. In my view our employment relations regime provides a balanced framework. 
Darien Fenton 
: How does the right to strike for health workers under current legislation differ from previous legislation? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: Health workers were able to strike under the Employment Contracts Act. The key difference now is that unions and employers must agree as to how life-preserving services will be provided during the strike. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Has the Minister given any advice to the Minister of Health to ensure that parties use mediation instead of us seeing this perpetual round of strike threats strikes patients inconvenienced loss to the public and huge disadvantage and disquiet in the community? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: The Minister of Health is not a party to the negotiations but actually there is a requirement that parties are referred to the Mediation Service. I am confident that requirement has been met. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Is the Minister aware that in the last 12 months New Zealanders had more strikes than at any time in the previous 10 years and that this particular 12 months looks like it will even break that record? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: The initial reference that I have in relation to health strikes indicates that in this current year compared with the first three-quarters of 1999 we have had about a third of the number of industrial stoppages. So under that member’s Government the situation was actually a lot worse. 
Jo Goodhew 
: Can the Minister understand the desperation that district health boards like the Canterbury District Health Board feel when industrial action results in intolerable delays for cancer treatment and makes it very difficult for district health boards to provide the elective surgery that New Zealanders desperately need? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: Yes; I certainly understand the problem. I do not share the member’s views on the solution.