Waikato nurses join picket line
Waikato Hospital was ringed by noise and colour yesterday as hundreds of nurses and healthcare workers stood outside to protest.
At times it was hard to hear the person next to you speak as New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) members, many wearing purple, chanted and sang slogans.
Across the country, nurses stopped work for 24 hours starting at 7am yesterday.
NZNO national delegate Bronwyne Albright said the reaction from passing motorists had been overwhelmingly positive.
‘‘There’s been constant tooting and people waving out as they drive past. The reaction from the public has been really good, because I think they understand what we’re fighting for,’’ Albright said.
Nurses opted for national industrial action after rejecting the latest pay offer from the district health boards.
Albright estimated as many as a 1000 NZNO members would join the picket lines around Waikato Hospital during the 24-hour strike.
‘‘It’s like the lid has been lifted on nine years of built-up frustration and fatigue. We shouldn’t have to take industrial action just to get a safe working environment.’’
The Waikato DHB employs about 3600 nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants. About 90 per cent belong to the NZNO.
The health board has rostered 440 nurses on duty to provide lifepreserving services at Waikato Hospital and its four rural hospitals during the strike.
Tony Lord, of Otorohanga, ¯ was at Waikato Hospital early yesterday to take his daughter home following surgery.
He said the hospital was eerily quiet inside. He and his family supported the nurses’ strike.
‘‘I have three nieces who are nurses and I know how hard they work. I think a lot of doctors today will realise just how much work the nurses do,’’ Lord said.
Janeen Kaihe, an intensive care nurse, joined the picket lines just after 7am in her nurse’s uniform. She was on call until 7pm just in case her colleagues needed extra support.
‘‘This protest isn’t about pay, it’s about making sure there’re enough nurses so we can provide good care. The Government has said they’ll employ 500 to 600 extra nurses. But when you spread that across 20 DHBs, it won’t make much of a difference,’’ Kaihe said.
Natasha Clasper, a second-year nurse, said many young nurses were contemplating a shift overseas so they can work in hospitals with better staffing levels.
‘‘Like most people, I became a nurse because I love helping people and making a difference. But at the moment, it’s so hard to get ahead as a nurse.’’