Nurses vote to strike
Representatives for thousands of nurses, healthcare assistants and midwives will participate in Employment Relations’ Authority-led facilitation with district health boards (DHBs) in a lastditch bid to prevent tomorrow’s strike.
Yesterday, the New Zealand Nurses’ Union (NZNO) revealed the ‘‘majority’’ of its more than 30,000-strong membership had voted in favour of rejecting the Government’s latest pay offer, triggering 24 hours of industrial action at the country’s hospitals from 7am tomorrow.
DHBs are now preparing for the event, which will see hospitals provide emergency treatment and ‘‘life-preserving services’’ during the strike period. Up to 8000 planned procedures could be affected.
It has been three decades since nurses last went on strike. The landmark decision saw the NZNO ordered into facilitation with the DHBs, overseen by an Employment Relations’ Authority facilitator.
The strike action comes after the DHBs almost doubled their pay offer in late May. The offer was to invest $520 million between now and mid2020 for base pay rises, along with more staff and improved conditions.
It included a lump sum of up to $2000, three 3 per cent pay rises for all members, plus extra pay steps.
That offer was updated this month, remaining largely the same but with a new top step of $77,386, excluding shift allowances, taking effect from August 2020, instead of December next year.
DHBs spokeswoman Helen Mason was disappointed by the nurses’ decision. ‘‘I do believe this is an excellent offer and it’s hard to speculate why nurses have voted the way they’ve voted.’’