Fair Share for Aged Care is an exciting campaign run jointly by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation and Service and Food Workers Union: Nga Ringa Tota.
It's a campaign to win fair pay and decent conditions in aged care through collective bargaining. To do that we need to increase the number of union members. When we have strength of numbers, we have a strong collective voice.
We need lots more workers in aged care to join the union to be successful.
Latest Fair Share News - Spring 2012 Issue
Spring edition of Fair Share news contains all the details about:
- Health Select Committee
- Aged Care Summit
- Union heroes!
- Oceania celebrations!
- Metlifecare Settlement
- Settlement at Bupa - 98% voted YES
- and just for fun a solidarity word find
Download or view Fair Share News
Fair Share News - Spring 2012 (PDF, 8 Pages, 5MB)
Fair Share News - Autumn 2012 (PDF, 3 pages, 975KB)
Fair Share News - Spring 2011 (PDF, 4 pages, 800KB)
Fair Share News - Winter 2011 (PDF, 4 pages, 1.3MB)
We're asking the Government to properly fund aged care services in New Zealand.
Read about the Aged Care Charter (link)
News updates
Oceania rest home dispute settles
MEDIA RELEASE: NEW ZEALAND NURSES ORGANISATION
AND SERVICE AND FOOD WORKERS UNION NGA RINGA TOTA
12 June 2012
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) and the Service and Food Workers Union today announced the settlement of a nine-month pay dispute with the Oceania rest home group.
SFWU spokesperson Alastair Duncan said the settlement secured a 3.22% pay raise for 1500 union members employed by Oceania. The settlement also saw the protection of overtime and other rights which the employer had sought to reduce.
“The key issue in this dispute was getting government money passed on to the workforce and we are pleased that Oceania has now understood the need to pass on the funding it receives from District Health Boards to the care staff,” said Alastair Duncan.
Alastair Duncan says the fact that it took nine months of conflict was disappointing and highlighted a sector wide problem of underfunding and a lack of focus on the true value of care staff.
“We now look forward to working with Oceania, and other aged care employers, to ensure the sector does its utmost to persuade the government to increase the funding levels for what is one of this country’s fastest growing industries,” NZNO spokesperson David Wait said.
Both unions say the recently released Human Rights Commission led by Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Judy McGregor enquiry into the sector provides a timely opportunity for unions and employers to work together.
“The desperate need for better funding, safe staffing and mandatory training and support are all highlighted in the report,” David Wait said.
“As the largest care provider in the sector we expect Oceania to use its influence to engage with the government and DHBs so that there truly can be a ‘fair share, for aged care’,” Alastair Duncan said.
For more information contact:
Alastair Duncan 0272 456 593 or David Wait 0274 810 514
The Union Report
7 May 2012
View The Union Report YouTube clip - see the first segment about the aged care sector (at aproximately 0:58 seconds.)
Support grows for action
21 March 2012
Over four separate days of strike action, SFWU and NZNO Oceania members have picketed, marched, handed out leaflets and rallied outside Oceania's headquarters.
Find out what's happening next.
Oceania strike action grows
16 March 2012
Members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) and the Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota (SFWU) employed by Oceania have voted to continue their industrial and community campaign for a fair share of aged care.
Read the media release.
Members take action
01 March 2012
Members from NZNO and SFWU who work for Oceania took strike action on Thursday 1 March. These workers are still in the midst of their industrial action.
See below for some of the media coverage so far. Keep checking back for more!
Photos from the Wellington picket
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66626658@N02/sets/72157629120454928/
Media coverage
TV3 News
http://www.3news.co.nz/No-money-to-meet-unions-demands---Oceania/tabid/370/articleID/244785/Default.aspx
David Waits’ interview on TV One
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/rest-home-workers-walk-off-job-4749195/video
Other coverage
http://news.msn.co.nz/nationalnews/8427846/strikes-blamed-on-government-policies
http://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/22454-rest-home-workers-go-on-strike.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/national/politics/6504404/MPs-residents-join-aged-care-workers-strike
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/rest-home-workers-walk-off-job-4749195
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/hutt-valley/6504097/Upper-Hutt-workers-on-strike-today
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10789011
http://www.3news.co.nz/Rest-home-workers-want-fair-share-for-aged-care/tabid/423/articleID/244726/Default.aspx
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/99746/rest-home-staff-begin-strike-action
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/13054420/aged-care-strike-government-blamed/
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/13049869/caregivers-supported-in-demand-for-fair-deal-ctu/
http://www.voxy.co.nz/politics/green-mps-picket-line-support-aged-care-workers/5/116267
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Use the web form below or complete the T-shirt Order form (Word) and email it to kalim@nzno.org.nz.