Nurses Show Power Of Collective Action

20 September 2005

Nurses Show Power Of Collective Action

"Members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation have shown the power of collective action by winning our fair pay claim in DHBs and are now set to collectively achieve our other goals," said NZNO president Jane O’Malley today, on the eve of the organisation’s national annual conference in Auckland.

Over 200 members of the Nurses Organisation are gathering for their two-day conference around the theme – Freed To Care, Proud To Nurse.

Jane O’Malley said NZNO membership was surging towards 40,000 and membership had grown by around 10% in the past 18 months.

Jane O’Malley said nurses, midwives and health assistants could be justifiably proud of winning the Fair Pay goals through collective campaigning.

“Also essential to winning our goal was a government which supported collective bargaining and the framework of the Employment Relations Act.”

“Now, with even greater collective strength, we need to build on that success by collectively campaigning for pay parity in primary health and aged care and for safe staffing for all our members and all New Zealanders needing care,” she said.

Jane O’Malley will outline NZNO’s goals to the conference tomorrow at 11.20 and will deliver her farewell speech to conference delegates on Thursday at 2pm.

ENDS

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