Two weeks of striking begins for midwives in the midst of a pay dispute around New Zealand

New Zealand College of Midwives CEO Karen Guilliland meets with regional midwives last year. Photo / Stuart Munro

Close to 2000 midwives from around New Zealand went on strike today.

The strike was called following the district health board's rejection of a proposal put forward by the midwives union for a mediation last Wednesday to resolve a long-running pay dispute.

Despite striking, most midwifery employee representation and advisory service (MERAS) members who are rostered on will remain at work to provide life preserving services (LPS).

The DHB-employed midwives are striking for two hours a day, twice per day until December 5.

Midwifery co-leader Caroline Conroy said strikes could not go ahead if the safety of women and their babies was compromised as a result.

She said the fact some DHBs had requested more midwives than would normally be rostered on duty highlighted the severe under-staffing of maternity units around the country.

"The union is being asked to find members willing to fill gaps in rosters," Conroy said.

"It is not the purpose of LPS to fix staffing shortages."

MERAS industrial co-leader Jill Ovens said DHBs and the Ministry of Health are holding their position that members should accept the nurses' pay scales.

These were agreed as a result of a negotiation in which the bulk of midwives employed by DHBs and represented by MERAS had no part.

"Midwives and nurses are health professionals and key members of a team that works hard to deliver the best outcomes for women and their babies," Ovens said.

"A decision by members of MERAS not to accept a DHB pay offer has nothing to do with being worth more, less or the same as nurses."

Ovens said they have a different code of practice, different expertise and a different history to nurses.

"Other health professionals like physiotherapists and occupational therapists have pay differentials that reflect their qualifications, level of responsibility and scope of practice.

"Why shouldn't midwives have their pay rates set in the same way?"