Pay Talks Breakdown Highlights DHBs Underfunding

Breakdown of Doctor’s Pay Talks Highlights DHBs Underfunding

“The breakdown of national negotiations over senior doctors’ pay and conditions shows DHBs are not adequately funded to pay doctors and nurses realistically,” said Geoff Annals, CEO of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation today.

“It is simply not acceptable for DHBs to tell their staff their budgets do not allow for fair rates of pay.”

Geoff Annals said government needed to fund DHBs adequately to pay doctors and nurses fair and realistic salaries.

Geoff Annals said the breakdown of talks showed the importance of setting nationally consistent pay scales for doctors and nurses.

“Other public sector professionals such as teachers and police have nationally consistent pay scales, determined in national negotiations,” he said.

“The current situation of health professionals negotiating with 21 DHBs means pay is determined by what each DHB has left in the kitty, rather than what the job is worth.

“No wonder our nurses and doctors are leaving and our hospitals face staffing crises.”

Geoff Annals said nurses were very underpaid and DHBs were not adequately funded to pay nurses fairly.

“In nurses’ pay negotiations in 2004 NZNO will be calling on government to provide sufficient funding for a fair pay settlement,” he said.

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