New Zealand Nurses Organisation will head back to the negotiating table today with hopes of finally settling on an agreed pay offer with District Health Boards.
The latest offer, worth $500 million, would have seen all nurses receive a pay rise of at least 9.5 per cent in the next year, with more senior staff promised even more.
But NZNO members voted to reject the offer and strike. More than 8000 nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants walked off the job last Thursday.
A NZNO spokeswoman said yesterday that DHB representatives requested to meet with the NZNO negotiating team to discuss an offer.
"The negotiating team is looking forward to meaningful discussions in an endeavour to deliver a proposed MECA [Multi-Employer Collective Agreement] that can be taken back to members for ratification," the NZNO spokeswoman said.