$520m package for nurses

District health boards (DHBs) have almost doubled their offer to nurses in a package worth more than $500 million over two years – but it remains to be seen if the offer is enough.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) revealed early yesterday that its 27,000 eligible members had voted for two days of strikes on July 5 and 12 over pay and staffing concerns.

The strikes are dependent on what nurses make of the new offer, announced by DHB spokeswoman Helen Mason yesterday afternoon.

‘‘The offer will invest $520m between now and mid-2020 for base pay increases, more staff and improving working conditions,’’ she said. ‘‘Almost half of that is new funding over and above the DHBs’ previous offer.’’

Mason said contingency plans would be in place should nurses strike, but she remained hopeful the new deal would be enough.

‘‘We’re hoping for the best, but we’re planning for the worst.’’

The union said the DHBs had unexpectedly publicised the offer and it would be making no further comment until its analysis went out to members on Thursday.

Members would vote on the offer in a ballot likely running from June 5 to 15.

Mason said the latest deal was a significant increase on the recommendations released last week by an independent panel appointed to break the impasse.

It included 3 per cent pay increases in June, August and August 2019, as well as a $2000 lump sum payment and an increase to on-call rates.

The offer also included the creation of two new pay steps, extending the $66,755 salary limit paid to registered nurses and midwives with five years’ experience. From December $72,944 will be the highest base salary, followed by $77,386 from December next year.

About 15,000 of the 20,030 registered midwives and nurses employed at DHBs were included in the top category.

An extra $48m of Ministry of Health funding was also included – $38m to employ between 500 and 600 extra nurses and $10m for new safe staffing measures.

‘‘The salary of a registered nurse with five years’ experience will go up by around $10,500 over 18 months – that’s almost $200 extra a week by the end of 2019,’’ Mason said.

‘‘By December 2019, the average take-home pay of a full-\time, experienced registered nurse will be around $93,000 a year.’’

Registered nurse Danni Wilkinson, an administrator of the popular Facebook group for Kiwi nurses called ‘‘New Zealand, Please Hear Our Voice’’, said the figure, which included penal rates and overtime, was misleading.

She praised the two new pay steps, but said overall the offer was too similar to the independent panel’s recommendations, which included 3 per cent pay increases.

‘‘People weren’t happy [with the panel recommendations] and we’re essentially looking at the same thing – 9 per cent.’’