Nursing reports

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 16 May 2024

On 27 September 2023, during a televised pre-election leaders’ debate, Christopher Luxon said that regardless of whether nurses work in aged care, general practice or “the DHB equivalent system”, they should be paid the same. When asked if he would do that should he win the election, Mr Luxon said he would.[1]  

He won the election and he hasn’t.

The Coalition Government has refused to commit to adequately fund Primary/Community Health Care when the current Pay Equity claim in the sector is settled, despite Mr Luxon’s promise.

The New Zealand Nurses organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says the harmful effects of this wage gap are being felt across the health system in Aotearoa New Zealand, and calls for increases to health budget funding so the problem can be properly fixed.

“Health budgets are now set every three years instead of yearly so the Government has one chance to get this right, pay what’s fair and just, and avoid consigning us to an impoverished, ineffectual health system for years to come,” said NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter.

Gisborne general practice nurse Ayla Evans says the worst part of the problem for general practices is in recruiting and retaining staff, especially those with valuable experience, because those staff could earn up to 20 percent more working in a hospital.

“This is a seriously big deal because we’re going to lose half our workforce to retirement in the next 10 years, so Pay Parity with Te Whatu Ora is not a want; it’s a need! I think it’s really important that Budget 2024 reflects that.”

Ayla says she and her colleagues feel undervalued and frustrated at being paid so much less despite having the same qualifications and experience as their Te Whatu Ora colleagues.

“Our employers do their best to pay us well, but to do that they’ve had to free up funds by reducing other services and shortening opening hours. We now close at 5pm instead of 8pm, which means a lot of the forestry workers and others who can’t get to us during the day miss out on proper care. It’s having a huge impact on our community.

“It’s like the Government doesn’t understand that Primary Care is there to prevent health problems from worsening, and to provide health education that can keep people well and out of hospitals and our overloaded emergency departments. Yet it seems all the money goes to Te Whatu Ora as the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.

“And how many Primary Health Care jobs could we have saved if the money given to landlords and set aside for tax cuts went into funding Pay Parity for nurses?”

But it is not General Practice alone feeling the effects. Wellington Plunket nurse Hannah Cook says the Government's failure to honour its promise and pay Whanau Awhina Plunket staff in line with those at Te Whatu Ora is inappropriate and unfair. 

“Experienced Plunket nurses are feeling unappreciated for their mahi and are either leaving or taking on a second job to make ends meet. Plunket nurses are doing a fantastic job, but our goodwill and passion can only be relied upon for so long.

“The Government needs to honour its commitment to Pay Parity for all nurses, wherever they work." 

-Ends-

Media enquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617 | media@nzno.org.nz

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 2 May 2024

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation NZNO Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) say the Government’s proposal, announced today, to disestablish the Pay Equity Taskforce within Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission is extremely regrettable.

NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter says women being paid less than men, even though they do work of equal value, remains widespread across the country.

“To disband the expert group of people tasked with supporting pay equity for women before this work is complete in New Zealand is unwise and speaks again of the Government’s misdirected priorities.

“The demise of the taskforce will come with a huge loss in terms of the knowledge and skills required to ensure women do not remain the victims of sex-based wage discrimination. These skills were of huge benefit to both employers and the unions representing their employees in sorting pay equity issues.”

Paul Goulter says the Government appears to be divesting its pay equity responsibilities under the Equal Pay Act to public sector agencies, making them responsible for meeting pay equity obligations from here on.

“And it’s really ominous that the Government has still not committed to closing the massive pay equity gap around the non-state (funded) sector – for example the huge difference between what nurses are paid in our hospitals as opposed to our general practices, community health and support services, Māori and iwi health providers, Plunket and so on.

“These forms of Primary Care are hugely important for preventing ill health and reducing the burden on our public hospitals and emergency departments. But they are under serious threat because the pay gap makes it hard for them to attract or retain staff. You and I and our loved ones pay the price for that.”

He says there is time for the Government to reverse this decision.

“Instead of dismantling the mechanisms we need to achieve pay equity, we’d like to see the Government actually honouring its pre-election promise to pay all nurses equally, by strongly committing to establishing pay equity across the funded sector (Primary/Community Health).”

-Ends-

Media enquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617 | media@nzno.org.nz

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 8 March 2024

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says it’s great the Government has announced five new health targets, but wonders how they will be met without a full nursing workforce that is locally grown and culturally safe.

NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku said we are not going to achieve reduced wait times and better treatment while our hospitals and emergency departments remain clogged and our Primary Health Care centres are closing.

“Every day we read news reports of GP practices shutting up shop or reducing services while they lose both doctors and nurses. Nurses are increasingly looking at moving overseas, because they feel disillusioned with a health system that remains underfunded, understaffed and fundamentally unsafe.”

Ms Nuku said we need a robust workforce that can provide the high-quality care Dr Reti envisions for all the people of New Zealand.

“For those most in need in Aotearoa that must include a culturally safe workforce, so people receive care that is appropriate for them and helps them engage with services.

“Unfortunately we’re not seeing any real action around this and it would be great if the Government’s ‘vigorous new direction in health’ included more vigour in attracting New Zealanders to take up nursing studies, especially Māori and Pacific people.

“We need Pay Equity across all of nursing so people are guaranteed a good job when they graduate, and we need students to be supported financially and culturally while they study so they make it to the end and graduate.”

She said that if the Government doesn’t do these things with vigour, the challenges it has set itself will go unmet.

“We must commit to growing our own workforce, and NZNO wants to be part of that workforce strategy.

“Then maybe these targets could be achieved via high quality health care for our diverse population delivered through services that are culturally safe and closer to the communities that need them.”

-Ends-

Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617 | media@nzno.org.nz.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release 15 February 2024

New Zealand Nurses Organisation Toputanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) members employed by Te Whatu Ora are furious after almost eight years of delay in their employer’s failure to fix $1.95b worth of unpaid holiday pay and other leave they are owed.

Every Te Whatu Ora district failed to meet the requirements of the Holidays Act, but to differing degrees, so while some members will receive very little, others will be getting payouts of tens of thousands of dollars, dating back to 2010.

NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter said NZNO’s Te Whatu Ora members have been dangled promise after promise about when the payments will be made, only to have their hopes dashed by one delay and excuse after another, year after year.

“Last year Te Whatu Ora said dates for payment by the various Te Whatu Ora regions would be confirmed in January which was revised yet again. We were then promised definitive payout dates would be provided on 9 February this year, but heard nothing on the day.  

“At a meeting with Te Whatu Ora yesterday (14 February) we were informed that final dates would be provided in the next fortnight, but not for all regions.

“They’ve had eight years to put this right while monetary amounts devalue and while our members struggle with the cost of living as much as anybody else. No wonder our hospital nurses feel devalued and want to go work overseas.”

He said NZNO would be lodging a complaint with Minister of Health Hon Dr Shane Reti.

“Justice delayed is justice denied, and this is at a time when we face unprecedented safe staffing issues because we can’t find enough nurses. How can Te Whatu Ora think this is even remotely acceptable.

“Unfortunately the people of Aotearoa New Zealand suffer because of this as nursing staff leave the profession in New Zealandand and our communities are faced with the consequences.”

More information

The Labour Inspectorate of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment identified in 2016 that there were issues with DHB (now Te Whatu Ora) payroll systems and its compliance with the Holidays Act. These meant that some employees weren’t receiving anywhere near their correct leave entitlements.

The NZ Council of Trade Unions wrote to the DHBs in May 2016 proposing a process to review DHBs’ compliance with the Holidays Act and to take a national approach to resolving issues of non-compliance. The then DHBs, now Te Whatu Ora regions, continue to work through the process at varying rates, but at a rate that NZNO considers unjust and harmful to the wellbeing of the people of Aotearoa New Zealand.

-Ends-

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

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi (PSA), E tū, and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) are calling on Te Whatu Ora to stop interfering in the Care and Support Workers’ Pay Equity claim that has left 65,000 underpaid health workers waiting.

“For more than a year we have undergone a rigorous Pay Equity process. We have systematically proven and measured the undervaluation of care and support workers based on their gender,” says PSA Assistant Secretary Melissa Woolley.

The three unions filed the claim on 1 July 2022 with 15 employers that are representative of the wider care and support sector, employing around 30 percent of the workforce.

“We are disappointed that as we near the end of the process, Te Whatu Ora has interfered and overstepped its role by trying to initiate a review of work on the claim that has already been completed and received the necessary signoff,” says E tū Assistant National Secretary Rachel Mackintosh.

Pay Equity claims follow a prescribed process overseen by the Public Service Commission. Each milestone during the process is awarded appropriate signoff before advancing to the next stage and Rachel says the proposed review seeks to re-open elements of the work that have already been signed off.

“We are on the edge of a decision that would make sure care and support workers are paid fairly for what they do and that would strengthen our community-based health services. This unwarranted and damaging proposed review has significantly delayed reaching a settlement,” says caregiver and NZNO delegate Trish McKillop.

Unions have issued a legal challenge to the review.

An open letter has been launched today calling on funders to provide sufficient resources to settle the claim as soon as possible and stop the interference. The letter is supported by community organisations including Grey Power, the National Council of Women, and the Council of Trade Unions.

The situation is now urgent as the Care and Support Workers Pay Equity Settlement Act is due to expire on 31 December with no assurance of how its protections will be maintained.

“We are committed to working with the next government to ensure care and support workers receive a Pay Equity offer by the end of the year,” Melissa Woolley says.

-ENDS-

Further information:

• The Care and Support Workers’ Pay Equity claim covers home support workers, aged care workers, disability support workers, and mental health and addictions workers.
• Aotearoa celebrated proudly in 2017 when unions won an historic pay increase for care and support workers following landmark legal wins championed by aged care worker Kristine Bartlett. But since then, their wages have regressed back to minimum wage while the cost of living has skyrocketed.
• The open letter is here.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 3 October 2023

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says the National Party’s new health policies announced today ring hollow because they don’t address the missing workforce needed to deliver them.

NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku said there was nothing new in what National announced and that the policies, while laudable in themselves, presupposed there were sufficient health staff available to deliver them.

“Increasing maternity services is a great idea, but how are you going to do that without the nurses and midwives to support new and expecting mothers?

“Increasing clinical training placements is also great, but what will National do to make nursing and other health worker training more attractive – other than student loan payoffs that come too late to really help struggling nursing students?”

Ms Nuku said recruiting and retaining nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora is the ‘make or break’ behind any health policy and that National is conspicuously quiet on how it will urgently recruit 4000 nurses or respond to the needs of frontline staff so they will stay in their jobs.

“Christopher Luxon has said National ‘will be doing everything [they] can to boost the health workforce,’ but very little beyond that.

“What about funded free training for nursing students so they don’t start work with a massive debt in the first place? What about more Māori and Pasifika nurses so people receive culturally appropriate care and need health services less?

“What about decent wages and Pay Parity across the health system so every nurse everywhere is equally valued and earns the same according to their experience and qualifications? What about mandated staff-to-patient ratios to help ensure the safety of nurses and the people they care for?”

She said health should be at the top of discussion this election because the system is hanging by a thread and will fall apart unless more nurses are found and/or kept.

“That has serious implications for the health care we and our loved ones receive, and we need to be putting concrete solutions in place now. The best health policy in the world will fail miserably without the workforce in place to support it.”

-Ends-

Media enquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617 | media@nzno.org.nz

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 31 July 2023

In an historic ballot, which closed at noon today, nurses, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora covered by the Nursing Pay Equity claim voted overwhelmingly to accept a proposed settlement.

Those voting included members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO); the Public Service Association (PSA) and other part and present employees of Te Whatu Ora who do not belong to a union.

The proposed settlement arose from mediation between Te Whatu Ora, NZNO and the PSA who have been in litigation over the claim in the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and Employment Court since early 2022. The three parties have agreed that this litigation will now cease.

NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter said the robust outcome is a significant milestone in the history of nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“This is a long overdue step towards addressing the significant gender-based inequality nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora face in their work every day. But it is also just a beginning, and we look forward to working with Te Whatu Ora to address other forms of gender-based discriminations nurses face.”

However, he said NZNO will not rest until these new rates addressing gender inequality were extended to every nurse, everywhere in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“The need for Pay Parity across all nursing sectors is well-established and not in dispute. That all nurses are paid the same according to their qualifications and experience is a matter of wage justice.

“It will mean nurses can work where they believe they can best contribute, rather than where they can earn enough to pay the bills. It will also help end the discriminatory wages and conditions faced by Māori and iwi, Pasifika, rural and other disadvantaged health service providers.”  

-Ends-

Media enquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617 | media@nzno.org.nz

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 23 July 2023

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says its 35,000 or so members employed by Te Whatu Ora will start voting tomorrow (Monday 24 July) on whether or not to accept the latest proposed Pay Equity settlement.

The proposed settlement arose from mediation between Te Whatu Ora, NZNO and the PSA who have been in litigation over the claim in the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and Employment Court since early 2022.

NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter said the Pay Equity claim, first lodged in 2017 under the Equal Pay Act, is meant to address long-standing sex-based discrimination and bring nursing wages in line with the wages of male-dominated professions that do similar work.

“It’s a significant and historic vote and if members accept it the amended pay rates would be effective from 7 March 2022 and would begin to be paid within six weeks of the proposed settlement being approved. If members don’t agree to the proposed settlement, we will resume judicial proceedings, and the outcome will be for the ERA and Employment Court to decide.”

However, Paul Goulter said Pay Equity was entirely separate from collective agreement negotiations, and the two should not be conflated.

“These are wages nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora are already entitled to because of the longstanding sex-based discrimination they have faced.

“We’re concerned that Pay Equity is often mentioned when the latest collective agreement offer from Te Whatu Ora is being described as if they were part of the same deal, which they are not.

“Collective agreement negotiations are about cost of living, labour market matters and, of course, all the other terms and conditions. They are not about gender discrimination which is addressed under the Equal Pay Act.”

NZNO’s Te Whatu Ora members will also vote 1-7 August over whether to accept the latest collective agreement offer from Te Whatu Ora, which, Paul Goulter says, is an improvement on the last offer, though it does fall short in terms of members’ claims around safer staffing practices, nurse to patient ratios and health and safety.

A 24-hour strike planned to commence at 7am on 9 August, which was organised before the latest offer, will be called off if members vote to accept the offer.

“Members demanded this strike because of their frustration over the lack of progress and slow responses from Te Whatu Ora in negotiations, which have been going on since the current agreement expired back in October.

“It’s now entirely up to members to decide whether the flat rate salary increase of $4000 ($5000 for senior nurses) and a further 3 percent next year will be sufficient for them to settle and put a halt to strike action, and they are looking at this entirely separately from Pay Equity.”

The offered collective agreement pay rises will be based on the new Pay Equity rates, if members vote to accept the proposed Pay Equity settlement agreement.

The Pay Equity poll closes on 31 July.

-Ends-

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

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 19 July 2023

Members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO), who are employed by Te Whatu Ora, have voted overwhelmingly in support of a 24-hour strike on 9-10 August.

NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter says the strike ballot, which closed at noon today, had very high member participation and the result was absolutely decisive.

“Members demanded this ballot because they are extremely frustrated at the lack of progress and slow responses from Te Whatu Ora in negotiations, which have been going on since the current agreement expired back in October.

“Despite the extremely difficult and unsafe working environment they face every day in our public hospitals and worksites, which has been well-covered in the media, they do not feel they are being heard or taken seriously.

“To date, claims in negotiations around safer staffing practices, nurse to patient ratios and health and safety have pretty much fallen on deaf ears, and these members have simply had enough.”

Paul Goulter said nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora are always extremely reluctant to strike because of the impact it has on patients.

“But there comes a point when they decide they have to strike for the very wellbeing of those patients, whose health and everyday care is jeopardised by unsafe staffing levels that Te Whatu Ora refuses to address.”

He said that, as with any strike action in the public arena, NZNO members will work with Te Whatu Ora and do their best to provide life preserving services at all hospitals and worksites for the duration of the strike.

The strike ballot was organised before the latest offer was received from Te Whatu Ora yesterday, Paul Goulter said.

He said the union will proceed with the strike unless members vote to ratify the recently received offer. A ratification vote on the offer will open on 1 August and close on 7 August.

A strike notice will be issued to Te Whatu Ora on Monday 24 July. The strike will start at 7am on 9 August 2023 and end at 7am on 10 August 2023 at every site where Te Whatu Ora provides health care services or hospital care services.

Meanwhile, NZNO Te Whatu Ora members are also set to vote on a Pay Equity offer from the Government and Te Whatu Ora, which, Paul Goulter says, is meant to address long-standing gender discrimination.

“Pay Equity is an entirely separate process from collective agreement negotiations because it addresses an historic undervaluation of a female-dominated profession that simply has to be corrected.”

The Pay Equity ratification ballot will open on 24 July and close on 31 July.

-Ends-

Media enquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617 | media@nzno.org.nz

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 18 July 2023

Members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO), who are employed by Te Whatu Ora, have received a new collective agreement offer from their employer. The offer was received in the latest round of negotiations on 17 July.

NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter says the offer is an improvement over the last one, but there are still significant gaps between the offer and what members have claimed around issues of pay, safe staffing and health and safety.

“Our processes are democratic, and it will be up to the 35,000 or so of our members who work for Te Whatu Ora to decide collectively whether it is good enough.”

The offer comes a day before a ballot for 24 hour strike action on 9-10 August by Te Whatu Ora members is due to close (at midday on 19 July). Paul Goulter said that if members vote in favour of the strike, it will go ahead unless members vote to ratify the recently received offer. A ratification vote on the offer will take place during the first week of August.

“Members had become fed up at the lack of bargaining progress. The current agreement expired in October and Te Whatu Ora didn’t even produce a first offer on anything until March. Since then progress has remained excruciatingly slow, and that is why members demanded a strike ballot.”

Meanwhile, NZNO Te Whatu Ora members are also set to vote on a Pay Equity offer from the Government and Te Whatu Ora, which, Paul Goulter says, is meant to address long-standing gender discrimination.

“Pay Equity is actually an entirely separate process from collective agreement negotiations.”

The Pay Equity ratification ballot will open on 24 July and close on 31 July. The collective agreement ratification ballot will open on 1 August and close on 7 August.

-Ends-

Media enquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617 | media@nzno.org.nz