Admin staff

DHBs settle pay equity claim with hospital administrative staff

Administrative and clerical staff at the hospital are set to get a pay rise now that a pay equity claim has been settled.

DAVID WHITE / Stuff

Administrative and clerical staff at the hospital are set to get a pay rise now that a pay equity claim has been settled.

Wage increases are on the way for hospital clerks as a landmark pay equity claim is settled between their union and district health boards that will see some employees raise by nearly $20,000.

The pay equity claim concerns 10,000 health administration staff working in hospitals, covered by the Public Service Association (PSA). The settlement comes a day after 10,000 paramedic health workers walked off the job over a separate wage claim. This claim is still under negotiation.

“More than 90% of the people in these key administrative and clerical positions are women, and their jobs have historically been undervalued – this settlement fixes that,” DHB spokesman Jim Green said.

The settlement will see a standard structure replace the vastly different rates that existed for more than 1,500 roles across 20 DHBs. This means that some workers will receive wage increases of almost $20,000, a 40% increase. Others will receive salary increases of around 13%.

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Each member will also receive a prorated lump sum payment of $2,500 – a payment that was agreed upon in 2020.

PSA National Secretary Kerry Davies said the day would go down in history.

“Since 1913, PSA has fought for equal pay for work of equal value for female workers. The agreement on equal pay for administrative and clerical workers in the DHBs is another step in a long journey.

“Each milestone has a concrete, cross-generational effect for the workers it covers, and that deserves to be celebrated.”

The settlement means the majority female workforce would finally receive pay that rewards them for their work, not their gender, the PSA says.

ALDEN WILLIAMS / Stuff

The settlement means the majority female workforce would finally receive pay that rewards them for their work, not their gender, the PSA says.

PSA national sector chief Sue McCullough said the settlement meant the majority female workforce would finally receive pay that rewarded them for their work, not their gender.

“Pay equity will change the lives of many of these workers.

Because some roles were more underpaid than others, salary increases would vary, she said.

“It’s also the first time administrative and clerical staff across the country will receive the same pay for doing the same job,” McCullough said.