MEDIA RELEASE FROM THE NZNO CONFERENCE 2003
23 September, 2003
Nurses’ Union Membership
Hits Historic High
“Membership of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation is rapidly growing and has hit a historic high of nearly 34,000
members,” said NZNO president Jane O’Malley today.
Speaking on the eve of the annual NZNO Conference in Rotorua, Jane O’Malley said that more nurses than ever before were
joining the union.
“We have grown by 30% in the past three years,” she said.
Jane O’Malley said NZNO membership was growing because the union had identified nurses’ issues and gave nurses a strong
voice.
“The important issues for nurses are fair pay, safe staffing levels and gaining value and respect for the job nurses
do,” she said.
“Nurses know the way to make a difference on these issues is together in their union.”
Jane O’Malley said NZNO aimed to achieve 110% membership.
“We’re not content to unite all New Zealand nurses currently working in the union,” she said.
Jane O’Malley said there were currently thousands of nurses of New Zealand choosing not to work in nursing.
“We want to see nurses who have left because of workloads and low pay come back into nursing and ending the current
nursing shortage,” she said.
ENDS