DHB contract offer recommended to nurses

The Public Service Association (PSA) has recommended mental health and public health nurses accept a new collective agreement offer from DHBs.

PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff said the new offer contained sufficient improvements to previous agreements for it to be recommended to members.

"One of the things we wanted was obviously improved pay rates, pay scales, and we believe we have achieved that," Mr Wagstaff said.

"We also wanted to consolidate our four regional MECAs (multi-employer collective agreement) down to fewer and now we've arrived at two regional MECAs. "

Negotiations between the DHBs and PSA have been under way since the middle of last year.

Mr Wagstaff said the PSA had recommended nurses accept the new offer last Friday but it would take several weeks for the deal to be ratified.

- NZPA