Passing motorists tooted their horns in support yesterday morning as IDEA Services staff took to the street in a one-hour strike.
Around 140 local disability support workers took part in a nationwide stop-work action to protest stalled pay negotiations, and concerns about job security and health and safety.
They lined the up along Alma Road, outside the offices of IDEA Services, the operational arm of IHC New Zealand, which has been in negotiations with staff and their E tu union.
The strike action came after mediation talks failed to make progress on pay negotiations that were due to be settled last October.
Among those taking action was residential support worker Megan Fairclough who has provided support to Whanganui people with intellectual disabilities for over 13 years.
Despite her length of service and considerable qualifications, she is paid just $17.68 per hour.
"I have completed all the available training and I have level 3 and 4 qualifications in diversional therapy," she says.
When Ms Fairclough describes the residents, or "service users", who live in the residential unit where she works and the level of care they require, it sounds like she and her co-workers are nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists as well as household shoppers and cooks.
"We have six people in our care and five of them are in wheelchairs," she says.
Two of the residents must be given "peg feeds" where liquid food is delivered to the stomach through a surgical incision.
"We work with hospital dieticians to provide the right nourishment," says Ms Fairclough.
"One person requires feeding five times a day and the other three times."
Ms Fairclough says until recently there were just two workers rostered at the home during the day and it was difficult to do the household shopping.
"It generally takes a couple of hours and it is stressful to think that there is one worker left on their own caring for a household of people with high needs.
"One of the staff had to take a service user to hospital this morning which could happen any time."
Ms Fairclough said things changed when a resident who previously lived at Kimberley Hospital arrived.
"Because he is assessed at a higher funding level, we get an extra worker," says Ms Fairclough.
"It makes a real difference having three of us here."
Although she recieves just $2 per hour above the minimum wage, Ms Fairclough says she loves her work and the people she cares for.
"We support them in every aspect of their lives including things like buying Christmas presents for their families."
She says service users do become like family but workers still have their own families to care for and supporting and spending adequate time with them can be a struggle.
IHC is funded through contracts with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Development and restructuring of the funding is causing uncertainty for workers.
IDEA chief executive Janine Stewart said on Tuesday that the decision on pay equity for care and support workers announced last week had delayed pay negotiations.
"Now that an announcement has been made we hope to be able to agree a collective soon," she said.
A second two hour strike is scheduled for May 11, if agreement is not reached at a meeting between E tu and IDEA scheduled for May 5.