Category: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Headline: NZNO welcomes Robertson’s pay increase signal  

Media Release 

12 March 2018

 

Minister of Finance hints at pay boost

The Minister of Finance comment to media that nurses were in line for their pay to be addressed with a future “pay bump” will be great news to the nurse workforce.

Chief Executive Memo Musa says this comment said on the TVNZ Q and A programme is in line with the government commitment to put back the $2billion missing in the health spend over the last nine years.

“The finance minister signalling that increases in salaries for teachers and nurses is overdue is a welcome step towards addressing the ongoing issue of the undervaluation of nurses undervalued,” Memo Musa said. 

“NZNO members have campaigned for many years now for adequate health funding to ensure better care of New Zealanders in the health system, safe staffing levels and pay that better reflects the value they bring to the community. 

“The health spend freeze had a negative impact on the nursing workforce morale because of the strain of staff shortages and the subsequent inability for nurses to take time for professional development. In addition many remain unsatisfied with the care they can provide because of underfunding of the health service widely.

“We will be looking carefully at the government’s 2018 Budget for the road map towards redress of the decade of underinvestment in health and nurses’ salaries.

“We want to see more māori nurses attracted into nursing and every new graduate with a place on an NETP entry programme. We want our more senior experienced nurses to stay in nursing and for employers to accommodate their needs to keep them in the profession.

This suggestion of a future pay bump will likely be a morale boost for nurses as the government intends to better reflect the value of nurses,” he said.

 

 

 

ENDS
media enquiries to Media adviser: Karen Coltman 027 431 2617.

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Headline: Transpacific agreement not right

 

 

Media Release                                                                   7 March 2018

President to speak at Wellington TPPA Rally

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation objects to the New Zealand government’s intention to sign the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement tomorrow. NZNO asserts that although some improvements have been made, the CPTPP is not ready to be signed.

As part of the week of action, NZNO President Grant Brookes will address the Wellington rally against the signing on parliament grounds tomorrow and will urge the rally to sign the petition ‘don’t do it’. 

Nationwide Day of Action against the TPPA-11

“Trade Minister David Parker rates the deal as seven out of ten for New Zealand. Nurses would not agree that tinkering around the edges meant that was a good job done, no more than the government should think they have finished making a deal that is good for all New Zealanders,” he said.

“Nurses promote optimal health status for all peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand. Despite improvements, the intellectual property provisions which are likely to delay access to affordable new medicines are still present in the text.

“In reality there is no way of knowing how well the CPTPP scores.

“Until there is an independent health impact assessment of the deal, which Labour campaigned for while in opposition, then nurses say, ‘Don’t sign!’.”

Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says:

“We are not satisfied that the Treaty of Waitangi aspect of this agreement is robust enough to protect indigenous rights as was found by the Waitangi Tribunal.”

“The Investor State Dispute Settlement provisions which privilege multinational corporate interests above our sovereign and indigenous interests have been suspended but not removed and this is too risky for us,” she said.

 

https://www.nzno.org.nz/get_involved/campaigns

 

Media enquiries to: Karen Coltman 027 431 2617

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Headline: Pay Equity recommendations to cabinet

 

Media Release                                                          5 March 2018

 

Cabinet to get working group pay equity recommendations

NZNO commends the government on following through on their election promise to relook at the principles for pay equity claims.

 

Cee Payne NZNO Industrial Services Manager, and member of the joint working group, on Pay Equity principles says, the pay equity comparator issue needed urgent attention.

“It was necessary for progress on pay equity that the government develop legislation that enables women to choose the best male occupations to compare their skills with,” Cee Payne said.

“The previous government’s pay equity legislation was convoluted and unfairly required women to go through several unfair barriers before being allowed to select the right male occupation.

“Having a more straight forward and simple process to determine if women can proceed with a pay equity case was also a significant improvement in the revised pay equity principles, and is welcomed,” she said.

Cee Payne comments that it was fantastic to reach tripartite agreement between employer, government and union representatives – on all matters related to the new pay equity principles.

 

 

ENDS.

 

Media enquiries: NZNO media adviser Karen Coltman 027 431 2617.