Care workers return

Nicola Taylor.
Nicola Taylor.
The insults have stopped and the suspended Anglican Family Care staff returned to work yesterday and provided social services in Otago, the union secretary says.

PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff said the union had filed to the Employment Relations Authority for urgent facilitation and Anglican Family Care had 14 days to respond.

Twenty-seven union members were suspended on Monday by Anglican Family Care director Nicola Taylor.

Following the suspension, the workers - in Dunedin, Alexandra and Balclutha - agreed to stop industrial action to return to work.

The union wanted pay increases to match consumer price index (CPI) adjustments.

Mrs Taylor said she was ''delighted'' the industrial action had ended.

''The decision to suspend workers was not taken lightly. The impact of the industrial action by 23 staff, members of the PSA has had serious consequences, both internally and externally, in relation to our compliance with Government contracts.''

The organisation got 80% of its income from the Government and the funding had no CPI adjustment since 2008, Mrs Taylor said.

''We, like other NGOs, are feeling the impact of this. We value our staff and providing support to vulnerable families is at the heart of what we do.''

Both parties wanted the suspended staff to return to work yesterday.

''We believe that sitting around the table to end this face to face is more productive than exchanging insults in the public arena. We don't want to add more to the issue publicly because what goes on round the table is more important.''

The organisation was looking forward to the meeting with the authority, but no date had been set, she said.

Mr Wagstaff said the union was pleased with Mrs Taylor's positive response.

''We, too, look forward to the opportunity to sit down and work this through.''

shawn.mcavinue@odt.co.nz

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