Nursing reports

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 11 April 2022

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says it will initiate a full legal review of the Pay Equity settlement agreement that was presented to NZNO and PSA members on Friday 8 April, and the process leading up to it.

New NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter said member feedback indicated there was significant dissatisfaction with the back pay aspect of the deal in that the proposed lump sum payment in recognition of past work was not what they were expecting – based on member understanding that they would be individually back paid to 31 December 2019.

“These negotiations took place before my appointment as Chief Executive and I was not party to them.

“However, it appears something is not right, and I have initiated a full legal review as to whether the proposed lump sum (backdating) payment meets the conditions agreed to in our last MECA negotiations, and whether we were legally correct in bringing the proposed settlement to members.”

Paul Goulter said the negotiations had been protracted and difficult, with a number of parties involved, and the NZNO and PSA negotiation teams, which included members saw the proposed settlement as a way of settling negotiations and getting much improved base pay rates to members.

“The employers said individual backpay was difficult for their payroll systems and that they would have to phase increases in over at least two years, and members have already become frustrated by ongoing delays.”

He said the new pay rates were considerable across the DHB nursing workforce and seem to have been, by and large, welcomed by members.

“This is a new and historic recognition that nursing has been undervalued as a workforce because it has mainly been done by women.

“That has been addressed and corrected in the proposed settlement, and we will now go hard to see those base DHB rates are extended to all sectors of nursing, including primary health care (e.g. medical centres), aged care, and particularly Māori and iwi providers.”

He said he expected to report the outcome of the legal review back to members as soon as possible, and preferably before the Easter break.

“Members will need this information before voting on the settlement and deciding next steps moving forward.”

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 22 December 2021

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is pleased to advise that it has today signed an Agreement in Principle to settle its Nursing Pay Equity claim for the NZNO and PSA members who work in district health boards (DHBs).

NZNO Industrial Services Manager Glenda Alexander said this settlement is of historical significance because it corrects the long-standing sex-based undervaluation of nursing work.

“This Pay Equity agreement will be absolutely life-changing for many of our members.

“It has been the result of countless hours of data collection and analysis – and then figuring out how it all translates to new pay rates. It is fantastic to finally see that tremendous effort coming to fruition.

“It will do wonders for the future of the profession as well, because it sets a positive pathway for recruitment in years to come.”

She said it was a welcome end to what has been an extremely challenging year for nurses, health care assistants, midwives and kaimahi hauora.

The next steps in the process will be drawing up the documentation and then providing it to those it covers who will eventually vote on whether to accept it.

“Even though this major milestone has been reached, we will still need some time to ensure communications on the details of the pay increases are accurate and clear,” Ms Alexander said.

“We expect to be providing that information as soon as practicable in the New Year.”

The Pay Equity claim covers approximately 40,000 members of the DHB-employed nursing workforce.

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 30 November 2021

Member-led protest action by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) at three district health board (DHB) head offices, planned for today, has been called off.

The protest action at the corporate offices of Canterbury, West Coast and Waikato DHBs was initiated by NZNO members angry that the DHBs had not met agreed timeframes for paying wage increases negotiated in the recent NZNO/DHB MECA negotiations, which concluded on 15 October.

Until the protest action was threatened, these three DHBs had not even responded to requests from NZNO that timeframes for payment be provided now that the six-week deadline had passed.

NZNO Industrial Adviser David Wait said he was pleased the DHBs had now agreed to pay before Christmas as was requested.

“This delay was just one more blow to our DHB members who, alongside all nursing staff in all nursing sectors, have proven their value and dedication over and over again on the frontline.”

He also said he was proud of NZNO members who collectively instigated and actively organised the protests.

“This is just one more testament to the power of member action and delegate leadership. Our MECA campaign motto was, ‘Together we are stronger’ and that has certainly proven to be the case.”

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More information

The NZNO media release, 29 November 2021, ‘NZNO to march on DHB corporate offices in protest’ is available here.

Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 29 November 2021

Nurses and other health workers who are NZNO members will be holding demonstrations outside the corporate offices of Waikato, Canterbury and West Coast District Health Boards (DHBs) on Tuesday 30 November to protest their failure to meet pay deadlines agreed to under the recently ratified NZNO/DHB MECA (multi-employer collective agreement).

NZNO Industrial advisor David Wait says the 20 DHBs collectively said they would pay the back-dated base-rate increases and lump sum payment within six weeks of the agreed MECA. That period passed on 28 November and, while no DHB has met this deadline, 17 DHBs have at least said all payments will be made before Christmas.

“It’s really disappointing that Canterbury and West Coast DHBs have said only some of the payments will be made before Christmas with adjustments to base-rates and associated back pay not being given until mid-February.

“Even worse, Waikato DHB has not only failed to meet the agreed timeframe; It has also failed even to respond to our request for payment dates and confirmation that payments will be made before Christmas.

 “The indifferent approach shown by the three DHBs is a real affront and underscores members’ belief that they simply cannot trust their employers. Once again, the clear message from these DHBs is that their word has no value and their hard-working employees do not matter.

“Frankly it’s an absolute disgrace that they cannot even give our members the dignity of a reply over such an important matter.”

Wait said members understood that Waikato DHB had payroll issues arising from the recent hacking incident that led to them over-paying some employees.

“We understand that, but what we find so irksome is that plenty of effort has been put into recovering that money from our members by the DHB, but hardly any has gone into paying their promised increases by the agreed timeframe.

“Members are rightfully angry at this disrespect shown to them and are marching in Hamilton, Christchurch and Greymouth to demand payments are made before Christmas.

“That they are forced to do this as the holiday period approaches and on top everything else they have endured this year is just appalling. No doubt this will make the next round of MECA negotiations, scheduled for late 2022, much harder, and that is a real shame.”

Note, these protests in Canterbury, West Coast and Waikato are not strike action and members will still be showing up for work if they are rostered on at the time. Details of the protests are included below.

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Protest details

Waikato: Protesters will meet on the corner of Selwyn and Pembroke Streets, Hamilton and picket the area from 11.45am until approximately 2pm.

Christchurch: Protesters will meet at the hospital outpatients building (2 Oxford Terrace) at 11.45am and march to the corporate building for arrival at 12 Noon.

Greymouth: Protesters will meet at the café (Te Nīkau, Grey Hospital & Health Centre, Greymouth) at 12pm to march around the corporate office before proceeding to the grass area on the main road.

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 15 October 2021

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) says its more than 32,000 members who work in district health boards (DHBS) have accepted their latest employer offer, with 83 percent voting yes. Voting closed at 12 Noon today.

Lead Advocate and Industrial Adviser David Wait said he is really pleased that the DHBs took the advice of the Employment Relations Authority after mediation last month and finally put forward an offer acceptable to NZNO DHB members.

“We have been in negotiations for 15 months, so it is great to receive something that both addresses pay issues and makes important progress towards safe staffing.

“Most of the pay increase comes in the form of down payments on our Pay Equity settlement, a separate process due for completion by the end of November, but the early lump sum payments are substantial.

“We also have a DHB contractual obligation to safe staffing, with a legally enforceable escalation pathway when members’ concerns aren’t addressed. Together with new employment commitments these are steps towards addressing the staffing crisis and making nursing an attractive profession again.”

Wait said he was extremely proud of the way members had engaged with this campaign for better wages and conditions – how they’d stuck it out and managed consistently to come to a consensus over many months.

“There is still a lot to do as we work with the DHBs to implement the changes, and members remain wary of their employers’ promises, so the DHBs have a real opportunity here to begin regaining the trust of their employees.

“How the DHBs respond regarding safe staffing over the next year will play a big role in our next collective agreement negotiations, so I encourage them to take this opportunity to do that.”

Today’s ratified MECA applies to the period 1 August 2020 to 31 October 2022. NZNO will next initiate bargaining late next year.

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 17 August 2021

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) says it will withdraw its strike action plans for 19 August after a community case of COVID-19 in Auckland has led to a nationwide lockdown.

NZNO Industrial Services Manager Glenda Alexander said people’s health and wellbeing have to remain our number one priority.

“Our issues are important, but it would not be safe or responsible for us to continue with a strike if the country is under lockdown.

“Our members are resolute, and we will continue to look at future strike action, but our members are also health professionals and know that people and their wellbeing are the most important things. We will not put people in danger to make a point.

“One of our main issues has been that staffing levels are unsafe across the health system. We think it is important that all rostered nursing staff are at work should the COVID situation escalate.”

The strike was planned for 11am until 7pm on 19 August and NZNO will make further media statements as the situation develops.

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 2 August 2021

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is disturbed the district heath boards (DHBs) have approached the Employment Court to help resolve a disagreement over providing life preserving services (LPS) during strike action, says NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku.

NZNO Industrial Services Manager Glenda Alexander said NZNO was not aware of any DHB facility that did not have its LPS needs met during the recent 9 June strike.

“We wonder why the DHBs did not approach us to discuss the matter before issuing a media release about their decision to take this action, which seems just another distraction from meaningful negotiations.

“We believe we have met all of our obligations as set out under the Code of Good Faith for the Public Health Sector (the Code) and that we have complied with all agreements reached. We will continue to do so in the future.”

Ms Alexander said NZNO and NZNO members have put a massive effort into ensuring life preserving services (LPS) are able to be provided and are gearing up to do the same for the 19 August strike.

“This is an affront to NZNO and its members who have worked constructively at all times with the DHBs to agree how best to provide LPS in each circumstance, and who will continue to do so. Our members have bent over backwards to make sure patients were not harmed as a result of strike action, and the services were certainly provided.

“It does appear, from what the DHBs are now stating publicly that NZNO and the DHBs have a different understanding of the extent of any rights and obligations under the Code in terms of LPS.

“However, NZNO members will not be putting patients and other staff at risk, as is implied by the DHB media release.”

Ms Alexander invited the DHBs instead to focus on coming up with an offer centred on guarantees that safe staffing will be in place every day to ensure the future of safe nursing practice is secure. She said she looks forward to negotiations commencing again on Thursday 5 August.

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 2 August 2021

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) has today issued strike notices to the country’s district health boards (DHBs) after its 30,000 members who work in DHBs voted in favour of an eight-hour nationwide strike on 19 August.

The notice is for the second of three planned strikes and comes after members voted by clear majority to reject the latest DHB offer on the grounds that if fails to set out clearly how safe staffing will be addressed and how the DHBs will be held accountable for it.

Lead Advocate and NZNO Industrial Advisor David Wait said members are taking a stand for the future of the nursing profession which is in a state of chronic crisis because nurses work in unsafe environments every day and cannot adequately care for their patients.

“Let’s be really clear. This is about the standard of care you and I receive when we go to hospital, and it is about making sure nursing is a job people want to do. We need to be sure nurses will be there when we need them in the future – and we will need them!

“Nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora have been working under horrific and unsafe staffing conditions for a long time, made much worse by the pandemic and RSV, and they are genuinely worried about the future of nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“Nurses are leaving the profession or are moving overseas where wages and conditions are often so much better and we must achieve better and safer working conditions to help prevent that.”

He said the latest offer is completely unclear about how the DHBs will be held accountable if they do not provide safe staffing and just repeats the same old vague promises that the problem will be fixed at some point in the future.

“Nurses are fed up after years of such promises and have no trust or confidence that the situation will improve on the basis of what has been offered around safe staffing guarantees.

“It’s just not good enough, and the stakes are too high not to take such a stand.”

However, he said NZNO was eager to get back into talks so strike action could be avoided.

“We invited the DHBs to continue urgently with the negotiation/mediation process through this weekend past. But were advised they are not available to meet until this coming Thursday (5 August).

“This delay on the part of the DHBs is regrettable, especially with impending strike action.”

He said the DHBs and Government need to come up with an offer that doesn’t just recognise the contribution of nurses through pay, but one that also assures them the future of nursing is secure.

The nationwide strike will take place on 19 August from 11am-7pm. MIQ and border workers will be exempt and life preserving services will be provided in negotiation with the DHBs.

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) media release, 29 July 2021

NZNO members who work in district health boards (DHBs) have voted by clear majority to reject the latest offer in their negotiations with the DHBs, saying it fails to address the chronic and systemic safe staffing issues in a way that would ensure and protect the future of the health system.

The ballot closed at 5pm this afternoon.

Lead Advocate David Wait said that, while the DHBs had made promising moves on pay, the offer contained too many ambiguities.

“Members have been clear from the beginning that their safety at work and the safety of their patients is a priority, and that is where they most deserve certainty.

“Better pay will make nursing more attractive, but it is not clear how the DHBs will be held accountable if they do not provide safe staffing. Nurses don’t want more vague promises that the problem will be fixed in the future – which is what we have received once again.

“For decades nurses, health care assistants, midwives and kaimahi hauora have been given these promises and things are now worse than ever, everywhere.”

He said nurses were making a stand for the long-term future of their profession and the wellbeing of people living in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“This won’t happen until the DHBs put accountability systems in place so nurses know things really will change and that their employers will listen when they feel unsafe at work.”

Wait said that, while a commitment to finalising Pay Equity by 30 November was appreciated, members are being asked again to trust in an outcome that remains uncertain at this point.

“This is just one more uncertainty an area where commitments to have the matter ‘sorted by a certain date’ have consistently not been met. The effective pay equity end date remains 31 December 2019, but the process has taken much longer, so it’s not surprising members’ trust has been worn thin.”

He also said NZNO was committed to carrying on with bargaining and continuing with negotiation and mediation. He said he expected the DHBs to do the same.

“We want the DHBs to come back with an offer that provides certainty over how safe staffing will be addressed. Members are tired of ambiguity.”

NZNO lifted a notice for a 24-hour strike on 29-30 July so members could consider and vote on an amended offer. However, given the outcome of the ratification ballot, he said strikes planned for 19 August (8 hours) and 9-10 September (24 hours) will go ahead unless an acceptable offer is made.

“Whether or not they happen will depend on our continued negotiations, which NZNO remains committed to.”

NZNO has more than 52,000 members; around 32,000 work for DHBs.

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 6 July 2021

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) says its 30,000 members working in DHBs have voted in favour of three more strikes: July 29/30 (24 hours), August 19 (8 hours), September 9/10 (24 hours). The strike ballot closed at 12 Noon today.

NZNO lead advocate David Wait said the vote was very high and members clearly remain resolute about ongoing strike action to achieve the recognition and working conditions that will ensure nursing remains a viable profession.

“This is a history-making set of actions that could take place over the next few months, but we will be continuing discussions with the DHBs this week and we remain committed to securing a deal that is acceptable to our members.”

However, he said the DHBs also seem willing to actively seek a solution.

“Progress has been made in our discussions and that has given us some hope a resolution can be found around pay and safe staffing.”

Further discussions with the DHBs are set for later this week, and mediation is scheduled for next week on 14-15 July.

While he had some optimism about the progress made, David Wait said the issues facing nursing staff remain very real.

“We are facing a national health crisis in terms of safe staffing, recruitment and retention; and the working conditions our members face can no longer be endured and that’s why our issues matter.

David Wait said he had not seen this level of member determination before, and that if agreement is not reached, more nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora will simply leave the profession.

“Nursing is a caring profession and it’s heart-breaking nurses feel so undervalued that they would choose ongoing strike action. To avoid this, we need the Government and the DHBs to come up with an offer right now that truly recognises the contribution nurses make and that ensures the future of nursing. This is about the wellbeing and safety of everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.