July 06, 2021
Staffing woes bolster nurse strike vote
Nurses have voted for a series of strikes to highlight their concerns about pay and staffing levels.
Nurses Organisation kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says they will continue to hold discussions or negotiations with the district health boards, and there are also two days of mediation set down for next week before the first strike on July 29.
She says all sides recognise the health system is under enormous pressure, but what doesn’t seem to be recognised is the value nurses add.
"The pay has never been on its own. What we've got is a workforce that is difficult to maintain and keep in this space but also we can't call on people when we need to build up a system so the safe staffing issue is really key to the success of a service moving forward," Ms Nuku says.
She says the strike is supported by nurses outside the DHBs in primary care, aged care and Māori and iwi providers because they see the profession under attack.
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