Nurses union calls nationwide strike over pay dispute with Health NZ

By RNZ

The Nurses Organisation has called a nationwide strike in December over its pay dispute with Health NZ.

Te Whatu Ora members voted to strike on December 3 between 11am and 7pm and embark on rolling strikes in districts throughout New Zealand in the following two weeks.

Nurses were feeling undervalued and were worried patient safety was being put at risk, Nurses Organisation chief executive Paul Goulter said.

“Nurses all around New Zealand working in the public hospitals are tired, they’re frustrated, they keep being promised things, they keep being told ‘we value your work’, but in fact when it comes down to it there’s no evidence their work’s being valued.”

Health NZ was suggesting pay rises far below what nurses deserved, Goulter said.

It had capped any increase at 1% of total employee costs – which would mean 0.5% in the first year because it would not come into effect until April – and up to 1% in the second year.

Union chief executive Paul Goulter says nurses are feeling undervalued and are worried patient safety is being put at risk. Photo / RNZ

The Nurses Organisation had told members that meant they would be offered a wage increase well below the rate of inflation – effectively a pay cut.

Nurses needed pay rises that reflected at least the cost of living and recognised their skills and knowledge, the union – which represents about 56,000 nurses and health workers – said.

Nurses were also alarmed at plans to pause a digital staffing system used in hospitals to indicate how many fulltime staff were needed on duty at any given time, the union said. That would leave few safeguards on staffing levels and result in fewer nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants and kaimahi hauora on duty.

The union said that would put patient and whānau safety and wellbeing at risk and patients would pay the price for hospitals that were continuously understaffed and under-resourced.

Te Whatu Ora will be formally notified of the strike on Monday. It has been approached for comment.

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