6 days ago
Nursing union members hold stop work meetings over stalled pay talks
File photo. The Nurses Organisation and Health NZ have been in bargaining since late last year.
Photo:
RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Nurses are looking for better pay and higher staff-to-patient ratios after rejecting the latest Health NZ offer, a Nurses' Organisation delegate says.
A series of stop-work meetings take place this week to discuss the next steps following a vote by members to turn down the offer.
Wellington Hospital delegate Hilary Gardner said a commitment to improving staff-to-patient ratios was needed, and the pay increase was essentially a pay cut.
"It's what's not in the offer that's the big concern for us. There's not a lot that commitment for health and safety and safe staffing."
She said nothing was off the table, including strike action.
Health NZ said it wanted nurses to return to the bargaining table to resolve the issue.
Gardener said the rejected offer came after many days of bargaining already since their contract expired late last year.
Health NZ regional deputy chief executive Dr Mike Shepherd said it believed the offer was fair.
"The employment relations authority agrees with that view, we're really keen that our nursing colleagues return to the negotiation table, so we can continue this conversation, so we can continue delivering the care our community needs.
"We really respect our nursing colleagues, we do need to be fiscally prudent, and we've made this offer.
"We think nursing pay rates have had a number of uplifts over recent years and of course we're keen to continue to that conversation," he said.
He said there was a system in place, set up in conjunction with the nursing union, that matches demand on the wards with the nurses available.
