NZNO Welcomes Pay Equity Announcement

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) welcomes this afternoon’s announcement by Te Whatu Ora that it will apply to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) to request it to order large Pay Equity increases to nurses.

These will be interim increases with the final increases still to be determined by the ERA. Final backpay will still be determined by the Employment Court and, if necessary, the ERA.

"NZNO will be pressing these issues promptly. The rates now set are only a part of the final Pay Equity rates which are still to be finalised," said NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter.

"The announcement today is step in the right direction towards the goal of just wages for the 36,000 or so NZNO members who work for Te Whatu Ora, and who have been unjustly denied equality for a long time."

Paul Goulter said the NZNO will support Te Whatu Ora’s interim application to the ERA and will immediately accelerate its efforts for achieving Pay Equity.

However, he said that at this stage the union is still working through the details of the application and on communicating with NZNO members about the announcement.

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