Nurses Campaign for Traditional Kiwi Values

8 May 2007

Nurses Campaign for Traditional Kiwi Values

Members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation are asking Kiwis to draw on their traditional sense of Fair Play and support the campaign for better working conditions and safer hospitals.

Some of the 20,000 Nurses, Midwives and Care Assistants employed by District Health Boards will take the Fair Play message to the public today. They will provide information about the issues they want dealt with in their collective employment negotiations and will ask members of the public to sign a letter to their local MP, asking them to show their support for the public heath nursing team.

“We think it is important for us to provide the public with as much information as possible,” says NZNO Industrial Advisor Glenda Alexander. “Without a doubt, people are wary of public health sector employment negotiations right now and we want people to know we are doing everything we can to make the process go smoothly.”

“This is about improving our public health system so it is also a political issue and parliament must take an interest in the process,” Ms Alexander adds.

The previous NZNO-DHB collective agreement expired on 31 December 2006 and the parties have been in negotiations since then, using an issues-based approach as opposed to conventional positional bargaining. The intention is to explore issues thoroughly and find mutually acceptable solutions.

Progress in negotiations has been slow and both parties have agreed to introduce a facilitator when bargaining continues. Glenda Alexander and a member of the DHB negotiating team are attending a Blended Bargaining seminar in an attempt to help find a way forward.

“At the end of the day, all our members are asking for is fairness at work. It’s fair that pay continues to reflect skills and experience, it’s fair that subsidised superannuation is available to all state employees and it’s fair that gender equity principles are applied consistently across the workforce. The nursing team will consider all options available to achieve Fair Play,” says Ms Alexander.

ENDS

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