Nurses ‘sad’, ‘deflated’
Strike action on the cards despite Minister’s assurances
Northland health workers are considering strike action following recent Government announcements around pay for those working in the public sector.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern recently met with Public Sector Association representatives to discuss the announcements and called the conversations “constructive”. Both sides have since acknowledged the announcements were not a “freeze” on wages, but rather an opening position for collective bargaining negotiations.
Employees on collective agreements with increases already built-in would still see their salary increase and those earning more than $60,000 a year can still move up through their pay bands.
“Our membership are feeling really disappointed at the announcement of the wage freeze, especially with the extra hours they’re having to do and the staffing shortages we have at the moment . . . We’re sad and feeling deflated,” said Northland organiser for New Zealand Nurses Organisation Julie Governor.
A group of around 30 health workers gathered outside the opening of two new operating theatres and a cardiac catheter unit at Whanga¯rei Hospital last Friday morning, hoping to air their concerns to Health Minister Andrew Little and members of the Northland District Health Board (DHB).
The Advocate questioned the Northland DHB about what it is doing to avoid a strike and contingency plans should the strike take place. The Northland DHB was unable to provide answers, instead directing questions to its national body.
“How does a wage freeze support an already under-resourced health sector? There are many people across Te Tai Tokerau who are looking for work elsewhere. People are leaving the sector, people are looking for jobs in other places and this will get worse,” said nurse resuscitation coordinator Melinda Jordan.
Under the new rules, around 75 per cent of people working in the public sector will be unlikely to get a pay rise for three years. Any government employee earning more than $100,000 a year will not get a pay rise until 2024. Those on salaries between $60,000 and $100,000 will need to prove exceptional circumstances.
Governor said, “We don’t want to jeopardise our patients in any way, so we don’t make the decision to strike lightly.”
According to Governor, the news was disappointing for members of her organisation, as many of them had worked extra hard since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, on-top of already feeling burnt out from longer hours, shorter breaks, and a lack of staff.
“Our staff are getting shorter breaks and working longer hours. We can do it for a short period of time but chronically, it has an impact, you burn out . . . We’re dealing with people’s lives,” Governor said.
Despite being praised as national heroes by the Government for their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Jordan said now was the time for the Government to put their money where their mouths were.
“Without the ability to recruit, maintain, and retain appropriate staff that are appropriately recompensed for their work, we will not be able to safely staff our facilities. We have a
staffing deficit. We are seriously concerned that this will get worse,” she said.
Little disagreed with claims of understaffing. He was confident the two new operating theatres and cardiac catheter lab would be wellstaffed and ready to open by July. He also said there was ongoing work being done with nurses around pay that will not be affected by the announcement.
“We have staff and the thing about the news is, of course, we’ve been in collective bargaining with the nurses for several months and putting together a package that has nothing to do with the announcement,” said
Little. “There’s a lot of work going on around pay equity . . . That work continues and will happen regardless of the announcement of a couple of days ago. The other area of work is pay parity. That work is under way and over time, those nurses are expected to get better pay,” Little said.
Despite the Minister’s assurances, the nurses are still considering strike action. A ballot on the next steps closes tomorrow, with mediation between the Ministry of Health and the NZ Nurses Organisation planned early next week. It is likely industrial action will follow if the two parties are unable to reach a resolution.
“There’s possible strike action happening in June if we don’t find a solution,” said Governor.