National DHB Bargaining Bulletin - No. 11/1
Ian Powell - ASMS Executive Director
16 May 2011
Negotiations for our third national DHB multi-employer collective agreements (MECA) have now reached a critical stage. Progress has been reported to members in the March issue of The Specialist with the front page article ‘MECA negotiations on a cusp: but of what?’ and subsequently in our electronic publication ASMS Direct.
The current (second) MECA expired on 30 April 2010 but still continues in force. From 1 May 2011 it continues for currently employed ASMS members as an individual employment agreement (in essence no change) while new appointees will be offered an individual employment agreement based on the terms of the expired MECA.
This Bargaining Bulletin is an ASMS publication mailed to DHB employed members occasionally on an as needs basis. The purpose of this issue is to report on the critical stage of our negotiations as we seek to apply the investment in the senior medical workforce in DHBs as agreed in the Business Case. This is posing a considerable challenge on the calibre of the DHBs, particularly the chief executives, to rise to the occasion and provide effective and forward-looking visionary leadership. This is the cusp upon which we are now perched.
This issue of the Bargaining Bulletin can be downloaded in full here.
On the morning of 4 May the 20 DHBs informally advised the ASMS of its offer to settle the MECA which was then formally received by us the following morning. Following lengthy discussion at its informal meeting on 4 May and at its formal meeting the next day the National Executive unanimously adopted two resolutions (detailed in the Bargaining Bulletin).
These resolutions were communicated to the DHBs in a letter to Graham Dyer of the Employment Relations Strategy Group of the 20 DHBs, which can be seen in full here.
