10 Jan 2017

Health board bosses accused of pay double-standards

8:29 am on 10 January 2017

The senior doctors' union is accusing district health board (DHB) chief executives of double standards over pay.

doctor generic hospital

Senior doctors' union is in pay talks with district health boards. Photo: 123RF

It said bosses received higher increases than they offered workers, and it damaged the employers' integrity.

A State Services Commission report late last year estimated DHB chief executives received remuneration packages 2.8 percent higher, on average, last financial year than the preceding year.

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists said its own analysis showed DHB chief executive salaries rose at least 2.2 percent last financial year.

That was well above inflation and more than the 1 percent increase staff were offered in the first year under some collective agreements.

Union executive director Ian Powell said that was poor.

The union, which is in pay talks, said DHBs should think about the message they sent to an increasingly under-pressure workforce.

DHBs were unavailable to comment.

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