Nz Life Care Says Care For Residents Paramount At Redwood Lodge
New Zealand Life Care Limited says the care of its residents at its Redwood Lodge rest home and hospital is its first
priority – despite union claims otherwise.
New Zealand Nurses Organisation members at Redwood Lodge are on their third day of strike action today.
Rotorua-based New Zealand Life Care General Manager, Residential, Lynne Irwin, says the company has been hampered by
regulations which do not permit them to replace non-essential staff when workers withdraw their labour.
“We have done the best job in the circumstances, and have addressed any concerns expressed by staff after their first
day of strike action last week. We are extremely grateful to all the volunteers who are continuing to assist the
qualified staff we have brought in to replace the striking workers, and all of the volunteers have received a health and
safety briefing before starting work,” she says.
“We have, and we always will staff the facility to safe levels. The union says it’s concerned about staffing ratios, but
we have recently been audited under the Ministry of Health’s new Health and Disability Standards – which include a
review of resident to staff ratios - and received a glowing report. We also have a tertiary incentive standard with
Accident Compensation Corporation. Both of these prove we are exceeding all the required standards for private aged
care, and in fact, we currently expend more on our wages than Ministry of Health consultants recommend.”
Mrs Irwin says she is surprised the union continues to bring the matter up as during the mediation process they
negotiated and agreed a basis for addressing employee concerns about staffing levels.
“The union representative is continuing to misuse figures in the media, stating the government has said wages need to be
at 70% of costs to achieve a safe level of care. The report he is referring to was done by PriceWaterhouseCoopers in
2000, but was updated by Cap Gemini this year. The updated report sets the level of wages as a percentage of income
required to 46% for resthomes and 58% for hospitals.”
“This, and other misinformation being put out by the union is preventing our staff from making an informed decision on
our offer.
“We cannot spend more on staffing than we are currently offering, as we already exceed all legal requirements and
expectations. Throughout this process we have acted in good faith, but we do not believe the union’s representative has
done the same,” she says.
Redwood Lodge Limited, the New Zealand Life Care subsidiary which operates the rest home and hospital, has made it clear
to the union that it will not negotiate with it under the threat of strike action.
“The union has chosen to reject our offer, and the positive steps we made in mediation, without fully explaining the
details to its members. Despite this, several staff have already decided to return to work, because they do not agree
with the union’s stance on the issue,” says Mrs Irwin.