Another Major Milestone In NZNO Fair Pay Campaign

November 29, 2005

Another Major Milestone In NZNO Fair Pay Campaign

Over eighty percent of senior nurses, midwives and community nurses employed by district health boards have endorsed the outcome of a national job scoping exercise which brings them onto a unified pay scale for the first time in over a decade.

The implementation of the settlement will bring pay increases of over twenty percent, said New Zealand Nurses Organisation advocate Glenda Alexander.

When the DHB nurses and midwives voted for their “Fair Pay” settlement early this year, part of the settlement was a scoping exercise to bring those positions onto a pay scale for senior nursing staff.

“The overwhelming yes vote is an endorsement of the process and is another victory for our members’ fair pay campaign,” said NZNO advocate Glenda Alexander.

“The achievement of nationally consistent pay rates for the important roles that senior nursing and midwifery staff play in our hospitals and in the community was a vital milestone in the fair pay journey.”

Glenda Alexander said there were still outstanding goals in the fair pay campaign for public hospitals, including safe staffing levels and extending government superannuation to include all health workers.

“NZNO has been working with DHBs in a safe staffing inquiry which is currently developing recommendations to achieve safe staffing and healthier workplaces,” she said.

“Our members expect government to extend the superannuation scheme, which is currently enjoyed by other state sector workers to health workers as soon as possible.”

Glenda Alexander said as well as these priorities for NZNO members in DHBs, NZNO was now campaigning hard for pay parity for nursing staff outside of DHBs.

“Our members in primary health and aged care deserve fair pay as well and the rates established in DHBs as fair rates for the job must be extended across the health sector," she said. “As with the DHB settlement that will require additional government funding.”

ENDS

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