Labour Responsible For Nurse Pay Stand-Off
Wednesday 8 Sep 2004
Heather Roy - Press Releases - Health
The politicking of Women's Affairs Minister Ruth Dyson and Health Minister Annette King is the biggest factor in
nurses' representatives rejecting the pay offer by District Health Boards throughout the country, ACT New Zealand Health
spokesman Heather Roy said today.
"The Ministers' political posturing at the delivery of the nurses' petition in June, and their trumpeting that pay
equity work is well advanced, has understandably raised nurses' expectations to unprecedented levels," Mrs Roy said.
"In fact, upon receiving the petition on the steps of Parliament, in front of cheering protestors and TV cameras, Ms
Dyson made the extraordinary move of indicating that the enormous payments that go with pay equity would be realised.
"And, when asked if she believed nurses might be disappointed in their bid for pay equity, she the Minister replied: `I
don't think so'.
"Nurses do deserve more but now, eyeing the upcoming election and bolstered by Ministerial support, the Nurses' Union
is determined to get more than what is being offered.
"The ultimate cost of the settlement to the taxpayer, as well as any loss of services through strike action, should not
be blamed on the DHBs. Responsibility for this should be laid firmly at the feet of Minister's King and Dyson, who
simply could not contain their desire to impress a key political support group," Mrs Roy said.
ENDS