{"id":197834,"date":"2021-06-09T22:15:02","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T22:15:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/?p=59002"},"modified":"2021-06-09T22:15:02","modified_gmt":"2021-06-09T22:15:02","slug":"nz-nurses-and-officials-talk-what-next-on-negotiations-after-national-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/06\/09\/nz-nurses-and-officials-talk-what-next-on-negotiations-after-national-strike\/","title":{"rendered":"NZ nurses and officials talk what next on negotiations after national strike"},"content":{"rendered":"
RNZ News<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n New Zealand’s nurses and midwives’ union and district health boards (DHBs) will discuss where to from here after failed pay negotiations led to an eight-hour national strike yesterday.<\/p>\n Thousands took to the streets<\/a>, including nurses and supporters, to protest for better pay and conditions.<\/p>\n The DHBs and New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) was today discussing a possible further date for negotiations, and listen to feedback from union members.<\/p>\n Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said the government was totally committed to getting back to the negotiating table, represented by the DHBs.<\/p>\n “Obviously there are some financial constraints in the wake of covid but we do understand the importance of this workforce and we want to negotiate in good faith,” Robertson told RNZ First Up<\/i>.<\/p>\n The pay settlement in 2018 “made a big difference” but the unfortunate reality was that higher pay rates were available in Australia and had been for some time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “Nursing is a global environment, but we still think the salaries that are offered are competitive along with other working conditions and clearly, obviously, living here in New Zealand,” Robertson said.<\/p>\n “That doesn’t stop us from knowing we’ve got to sit down and have a good negotiation and do that in good faith.”<\/p>\n Improving conditions just as important as pay – NZNO “They’re kind of interwoven [pay and conditions]. If we don’t pay people what they’re worth, what the job is worth, they’re not going to stay and we’re not going to get new people into the nursing workforce.”<\/p>\n\n
\n<\/strong>NZNO industrial services manager Glenda Alexander told RNZ Morning Report <\/i>conditions and pay needed to improve so essential workers did not look to other sectors for a better salary.<\/p>\n