Health Minister Simeon Brown has left a defiant message for nurses demonstrating outside his office.
More than 36,000 Nurses Organisation members were striking from 7am to 11pm on Tuesday and Thursday.
Those outside the minister’s office were met by a large sign with A4 size letter plastered across his windows. The sign said the union’s strike was disrupting more than 13,000 surgeries and appointments.
Health NZ estimated 2250 planned procedures, 3600 first specialist appointments and 8000 follow-up appointments would be postponed due to the strikes.
The strikes followed nearly a year of deadlocked negotiations between the union and Health NZ, which culminated in a 24-hour strike at the end of July.
Nurses were striking due to concerns about staffing levels and safety. The latest pay offer was also dismissed as a “massive backward step”.
Nurses Organisation president Anne Daniels told RNZ that – in addition to pay equity and better staffing – nurses were demanding a pay rise in excess of 3%.
“That is a pay rate that is above the cost of living. A less than 1% pay offer is a pay cut,” Daniels said.
Health NZ’s chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan told RNZ he had not heard the nurses union’s demand of a 3% pay increase until it was brought up on air on Tuesday morning.
He said Health NZ was ready to get around the table with the nurses.
“It was great to hear a number because we have been asking the union for some time about what it would take to settle this agreement. That’s the first time I’ve heard that number.”
Sullivan said he was not sure whether the nurses demands were based on addressing staffing levels or pay.
“It’d be interesting to get back around the table – and have that conversation – and see if we can find a way through this.”
Daniels earlier said management was refusing to give any guarantee on safe staffing levels, which were critical to patient care.
“It’s unprecedented to have two full-day strikes within one week.
“That reflects to me the extreme anger that our members have towards Health NZ and the Government over not putting on the table something we can talk about.
“Our Minister of Health keeps telling us to come back to the table, but nothing new is put on the table – so what is the point?”
Hospitals and all emergency departments would remain open during the strike, with a small number of staff providing life-preserving services.
rnz.co.nz
