ASMS Stopwork meetings on MECA Negotiations Impasse

As a result of the continued impasse in our national DHB MECA negotiations there will now be stopwork meetings at all DHBs. Executive Director Ian Powell, along with other members of the ASMS negotiating team, will report on the current situation in the negotiations. The meetings have been called because the ASMS needs to:

1. Inform members where the parties in these negotiations are at.
2. Seek direction from members.

Please note that:

• The meetings are of two hours duration and attendance is on full pay.
• They are not strike action.
• Around six weeks notice has been given to the DHB (the legal requirement is two weeks) so that bookings for clinics, operations, procedures and meetings are able to be cleared with minimal disruption to patients.
• Emergency and acute care will still continue but all other duties, including elective and booked patient services and other meetings should not be held during this time.

Attendance at these meetings is critical. If you are dissatisfied at all with your job or impatient with the protracted negotiations please help us send this message to your employer by showing up. All members who would normally be working for the DHB on the day of the stopwork meeting should attend unless involved in emergency or acute patient care.

Ian Powell
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR