Senior doctors striking in Wellington in May. Photo: RNZ/Ruth Hill
Thousands of senior hospital doctors will know by early next week whether they will walk off the job for 48 hours after a breakdown in pay talks.
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) has confirmed its members have been voting since Monday on whether they will strike later this month.
If agreed to, the strikes would mark an escalation in industrial action following a 24-hour nationwide strike in May.
Bargaining between the union and Health NZ ended last Friday, after 95 percent of union members rejected the health agency's pay offer.
It was expected a decision on the move would be made by Monday, with potential strikes to follow a fortnight later.
Under the Employment Relations Act, a trade union must give their employer at least 14 days' notice before a strike begins
ASMS represents 5500 senior hospital doctors and dentists.
An emergency department doctor at Auckland City Hospital told Checkpoint the hospital was constantly operating beyond its capacity, leaving patients at risk and staff on the brink of burnout.
A secret ballot for industrial action officially closes at 5pm Friday.
In a statement, Health NZ chief executive Dr Dale Bramley said it was disappointed the union had rejected last month's pay offer.
"We remain committed to reaching a fair and reasonable settlement that recognises the value of our senior doctors and supports workforce retention in hard-to-staff areas," he said.
"We believe the offer was fair."
According to the agency, the rejected offer included salary increases between 3.5 and 11 percent, which were dependent on experience, and incentives to help retention in hard-to-staff areas and specialities.
The fact the collective agreement for senior doctors expired more than a year ago underlined the urgency of progressing talks towards a settlement, Bramley said.
"We are ready to immediately return to the bargaining table. We are concerned that the union has indicated they are balloting their members for a 48-hour national strike later this month without agreeing the next steps for resolving the collective negotiations.
"Should it go ahead, strike action by senior doctors would impact thousands of patients, delaying surgeries, treatment and appointments that many people have already been waiting too long for. We are committed to finding a settlement that best serves our workforce and the communities they care for."
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