Nurses who are members of the New Zealand Nurses
Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO),
and who work for Te Whatu Ora, will be stopping work for two
hours to attend one of 57 meetings being held across the
country from 29 May to 2 June.
The meetings are so
these nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi
hauora can review the latest offer from Te Whatu Ora and
discuss their next steps in the bargaining process.
In
bargaining NZNO members have asked for (claimed) a pay rise
that matches the rate of inflation (currently 6.7 percent)
but Te Whatu Ora’s offer of $4000 this year across all
rates and a further 3 percent next year falls well short of
this figure.
However, Te Whatu Ora has not at all
addressed members’ claims around the significant issue of
safe staffing and their wellbeing at work – such as
implementing a ratio-based staffing safety net and
supporting health and safety representatives at
work.
NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter said the
meetings are expected to be very well-attended by members
expressing strong views.
“Members would much rather be
at work focussing on their patients but we’re holding
these meetings to decide what to do next because Te Whatu
Ora’s offer will not help them deliver the levels of care
their patients deserve.
“We are at a time when
Aotearoa desperately needs nurses and other health workers.
Pay and conditions that recognise their value would make
nursing more attractive and help keep the nurses we
have.
“Right now nurses do not feel safe coming into
work and, ultimately, patients will pay the price for
hospitals that are continuously understaffed and
under-resourced.”
Paid stop work meetings are a right
for Te Whatu Ora nurses according to their collective
agreement and the Employment Relations Act. Members are
entitled to stop work for up to two hours on full pay (if
they would ordinarily be working).
Many of the
meetings will be held off site, with buses transporting
members to the venues. Members leaving workplaces will be
carrying banners and demonstrating on their way to the
meetings and back again.
Paul Goulter says the
meetings will not be about voting on the offer or on
industrial action.
“The bargaining team does not think
the offer meets member expectations and the meetings are
part of our democratic process for receiving member
feedback.”
Background facts
–
Around 57 meetings have been arranged at various
locations around the country from 29 May to 2 June. A full
chart of meetings times and venues is attached. Journalists
will not be able to attend the meetings but may wish to
interview and photograph/film members arriving at or leaving
meetings.
– Knowledgeable local NZNO
delegates are available to speak with journalists and tell
their stories on request.
– The purpose of
the stop work meetings is for NZNO members who work for Te
Whatu Ora to review the latest offer from Te Whatu Ora and
to discuss next steps in the bargaining process.
–
Collective bargaining is a democratic process where, at
every stage, members collectively determine the next steps.
These meetings are part of that process.
– Members
asked for (claimed) a pay offer that matched inflation
(currently 6.7 percent).
– The Te Whatu Ora offer is
for a $4,000 pay rise this year, followed by either three
percent next year, or $2,000, whichever is higher. This
falls considerably short of the claim.
– Members have
also made claims around significant safe staffing issues and
this matter is not addressed at all in the offer from Te
Whatu Ora.
– The current collective agreement between
NZNO and Te Whatu Ora expired in October 2022 and we have
been in bargaining since before that time.
– These
meetings are in paid time for members who would ordinarily
be working at that time (two hours; one for the meeting and
up to one for travel).
– The meetings are not
industrial action or a strike. NZNO members are entitled to
these meetings under Section 26 of the Employment Relations
Act, and clause 21 of their collective agreement.
–
The meetings are not for ratification of the offer.
–
Members travelling to and from meetings away from their
worksite will be demonstrating and waving banners and
flags.
– Very high attendance is expected at the
meetings.
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