Male Nurses Ban Overtime

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31093, 23 June 1966, Page 14

Male Nurses Ban Overtime

fA’eta Zetland Press Association) AUCKLAND, June 22. Male nurses at Oakley Psychiatric Hospital will refuse to work increased and compulsory hours of overtime which are scheduled to begin on July 1.

! A spokesman for the I nurses, Mr M. Cope, said that nurses in a psychiatric hospital could not be exposed to the strain of increased hours. The decision to refuse the new hours was taken today at la stop-work meeting at the' hospital. | Mr Cope said the new rosters, which were posted last week, required male nurses to work between 20 and 32 hours of compulsory overtime a week. This was on top of a normal 40-hour week. The present rosters ask for cnly eight or sometimes 19 hours of overtime a week, but this is worked on a voluntary basis. Female nurses are also affected by the new rosters, but not to the same extent as male nurses.

Mr Cope, who is secretary of the Oakley sub-branch of the Public Service Associa-

s tion, said staff shortages at : the hospital had forced the ■ controlling officers at the hosi pital to lay down the new . rosters. i But the strain of working ; with psychiatric patients made i'the new hours unacceptable.