Representing a third of the pay equity claims scrapped by the Coalition Government, NZNO is throwing its full support behind the People’s Select Committee on Pay Equity.

Members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) had 12 pay equity claims being progressed across the health sector including aged care, primary health care, hospices, Plunket, community health and laboratories when the scheme was gutted on 6 May.

These claims covered almost 10,000 nurses, health care assistants, allied health workers and administration staff. A further 35,000 NZNO Te Whatu Ora members had their pay equity review halted by the changes, meaning their pay would again fall behind.

NZNO Primary Health Care Nurses College chair Tracey Morgan says it was devastating to the 5000 primary health care members that their claim was scuppered without warning or legitimate reason.

“It was antidemocratic and an attack on women for the Government not to have consulted the workers whose lives they were changing. Primary and community health care nurses, like their hospice, Plunket and aged care counterparts, accepted lower wage increases in their collective agreements on the understanding they were likely to receive pay equity settlements.

“Now they can have their say through the People’s Select Committee on Pay Equity.

“The committee of 10 former women MPs from across the political spectrum are strong wahine who helped establishment the previous system to address the gender discrimination which has kept down their wages their whole working lives.”

Most New Zealanders – 68 percent – believe the Government should have consulted on the changes, a new poll released today found.

Tracey Morgan says NZNO urges all its members to submit their views to the Select Committee so they can be heard when it meets in August.