19 August 2004
Mediation Fails To Avert Nurse Maude Strike
Nurse Maude Association has failed to take advantage of mediation today to resolve outstanding issues and prevent a
strike going ahead, said New Zealand Nurses Organisation organiser Joy Coughlan today.
Joy Coughlan said the 200 NZNO members at Nurse Maude would walk off the job for four hours at 8am on Monday 30th
August.
“Nurse Maude took a very disappointing position at mediation today,” said Joy Coughlan.
“They made no substantive change to the offer, despite being offered every opportunity to achieve a negotiated
settlement.”
Joy Coughlan said NZNO members saw industrial action as an unfortunate last resort.
“Our members have now been left with no option but to strike,” she said.
“They have significant issues, including nursing pay rates well below nurses elsewhere, no offer on weekend rates or
on-call rates that are also well below what nurses elsewhere are paid.”
Joy Coughlan said this would be just the second time NZNO members at Nurse Maude had resorted to strike action.
She said members would aim to cause the minimum of disruption to patients in their four hour strike, but they had been
forced to take this action to show the employer how serious the issue is for them.
ENDS