Midwives’ strikes still on

Wellington: Midwives will stick with their planned strikes this week, despite some cautious optimism the DHBs will offer what they want.

DHBemployed midwives who are members of the union MERAS will strike from 9am to 9pm for one day this week, depending on the location.

The strikes will start at either end of the country (including the Southern DHB) today and as the week goes on will get closer to the centre of the country.

The union said the DHBs put a proposal to negotiators earlier this month that is likely to be ratified but that proposal had not turned into a formal offer yet, so they were not willing to call off the strikes. — RNZ