Northland nurses strike today for pay-parity with hospital counterparts

Primary Health Care and Plunket nurses across New Zealand will go on strike for hours on October 27 .Photo / 123rf

Primary Health Care (PHC) and Plunket nurses across New Zealand will go on strike today for pay parity including those from Northland.

The Whangārei strike will be at Northern Carpark, Kensington Sports Park, 75-79 Western Hills Drive, Kensington from 12 pm - 1 pm.

The nurses are holding public rallies over employers' inability to deliver pay parity compared to nurses who work for Health NZ Te Whatu Ora, who are paid more.

New Zealand College of Primary Health Care Nurses Chair Tracey Morgan said the issue is due to a lack of Government funding.

"The Government wants to blame the staffing crisis on the hard winter, but the real problem is that nurses are leaving Primary Care because they are underpaid and this is having terrible flow-on effects for community health services."

Strike rallies will be held in more than two dozen locations around the country from 10 am until 2 pm on Thursday, 27 October 2022.

The strike will include around 4200 NZNO members who work in medical centres and after-hours emergency clinics (covered by the PHC MECA) as well as those working for Plunket and Health Care New Zealand – both of which have their own collective agreements.

It's the first time in at least 35 years Plunket nurses have gone on strike, says Plunket Chief Executive Fiona Kingsford

"We understand that Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand is working on advice to the Government on possible solutions to pay parity and we look forward to being updated," says Kingsford.

Plunket support services to whānau will be impacted during the time of the strike.

Nurses overwhelmingly voted to strike in early October after rejecting pay increase offers.

· Primary Health Care Nurses (around 3500 NZNO members covered by the PHC MECA) have rejected an offer of 2.78 per cent, with 92 per cent voting to strike.

· NZNO members employed by Plunket (around 700) have rejected an offer of around 3 per cent, with 89 per cent voting to strike.

· NZNO members employed by Health Care NZ have rejected an offer of around 3 per cent, with 96 per cent voting to strike.

PHC nurses have the same qualifications, training and responsibilities as Te Whatu Ora nurses, but are paid significantly less.

A nurse at a medical centre typically earns 10-20 per cent less, and nurses working for Māori and iwi providers can earn up to 25 per cent less according to NZNO.