Association Rejects CDHB View On Funding

Association Rejects CDHB View On Funding

The Nurse Maude Association was surprised and disappointed to hear through a CDHB media release today that no additional money will be made available for their nurses to achieve pay parity.

The Association’s Acting CEO, Sheree East, says the figures provided by the CDHB give a misleading view of the cost of running community based services. “It is completely wrong to say the district nursing contract has “spare money” in it”. “I can assure the CDHB, and more importantly the public and our staff, that there is absolutely nothing spare. All of the funds received in price increases received on 1 November 2004 and 1 March 2005 have been included in the offer made to the nurses.”

“But that still leaves our nurses being paid a great deal less than their nursing colleagues in other parts of the country.”

The Nurse Maude Association continues to request additional funding to assist it to meet the nurses pay claim and has been in ongoing discussions with the CDHB. The Association understood just this week that these discussions were not finalised.

We are saddened that some of our staff who are NZNO members have chosen to take industrial action as we are endeavouring to support their appeals for pay parity.

Patient care is our main priority and the Nurse Maude Association is working to ensure that essential services are provided.

Ms East concludes, “We wish to thank volunteers, family members and other providers who have offered to assist us during this strike. This will help provide much needed support to patients”.

Ends

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