May 25, 2023
Court rules for Gisborne nurse strike
Nurses at Ward 5 in Gisborne Hospital will walk off the job for an hour at 1.30 this afternoon after the Employment Court turned down an application by Te Whatu Ora to block the strike.
New Zealand Nurses Organisation chief executive Paul Goulter says getting a decision that upholds the right of workers to strike over health and safety matters was a moral victory.
He says the Gisborne nurses have raised concerns for more than nine months, and, as the judge pointed out during the hearing, Te Whatu Ora had not managed to change anything at all to help them.
Ward 5 delegate Christine Warrander said it was bewildering Te Whatu Ora chose to spend thousands of dollars fighting a one-hour strike, instead of putting those resources towards fixing the significant health and safety problem they have.
During the strike, the nurses will join a rally directly across the road from Gisborne Hospital.