Nurses stop work to discuss employment law changes
Nurses all around the country are taking time out over the next couple of weeks to attend one of over 80 meetings to
discuss what they can do about proposed employment law changes.
NZNO industrial adviser, Lesley Harry says, “The stop work meetings will be held at every DHB in the country. We have
around 26000 members working in hospitals and they are very concerned about the changes the Government is proposing.”
“The Government wants to make collective bargaining much harder for employers and employees and they also want to allow
employers to opt out of multi-employer collective bargaining. Both those changes will impact the nursing profession
greatly.”
“Currently all 20 district health boards (DHBs) negotiate a multi-employer collective agreement with unions. The
agreement ensures workers throughout the country receive the same pay and conditions and DHBs receive the benefits and
efficiencies of working together.”
“The DHB multi-employer collective agreement makes it possible for the nursing team to provide safe, quality and
consistent care throughout the country. New Zealand’s health system relies on a nationwide approach to providing care.
Allowing the fragmentation of employees’ terms and conditions will result in a fragmented and stressed health system,”
Harry says.
“Nurses will be discussing what the changes will mean for them and their practice. They will also be letting their DHB
employers know how much they appreciate working within the partnership of a multi-employer collective agreement.”
ENDS
Note to editor: Dates and times of stop work meetings can be found here: http://www.nzno.org.nz/home/campaigns/dhb_section_26_meetings