Hospice workers seek pay rise

Hospice nurses are taking to the streets today seeking public support for an increase in government funding to fund a pay rise.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) spokesman Mark Lennox said hospice nurses would be asking members of the public to sign a petition to be sent to Health Minister Peter Hodgson seeking adequate funding.

NZNO spent four months last year in negotiations with 15 hospices for a national collective agreement, covering over 300 hospice nursing staff, and a deal had been reached. But employers did not have the money needed to pay rates comparable to those for public hospital nurses.

"Hospice employers want to give our members comparable pay and conditions with public hospital nurses, but they do not have the funding to do so," he said.

NZNO has written to Mr Hodgson seeking the extra funding required, which he said was less than $2.5 million a year to ensure comparable pay and conditions with public hospital nurses.

"Hospices rely on the goodwill and fantastic fundraising efforts of members of communities to fund part of their total budget. It is not reasonable to expect them to cover this cost," Mr Lennox said.

"Both sides recognise the issues and worked constructively together to negotiate a national agreement but the government funding simply isn't there."

A registered nurse in a hospice can earn as much as $10,000 less per year than her counterpart in a public hospital. Hospices also lag behind in conditions such as annual leave and sick leave.

Mr Lennox said the specialist role of hospice nurses was vital to the service hospices contributed to local communities and hospices were finding it increasingly difficult to attract and retain nursing staff.

- NZPA