Déjà Vu Over Nurses' Strike

Friday 30 Jan 2004 Heather Roy Press Releases -- Health

Once again, Health Minister Annette King's double-dealings with nurses and District Health Boards have come back to haunt her, with 4,000 lower North Island nurses preparing to strike on February 13, ACT New Zealand Health Spokesman Heather Roy said today.

"This is not the first time Ms King's actions have resulted in strike threats. She raises nurses' hopes, only to bring them crashing down," Mrs Roy said.

"While actively encouraging nurses to seek higher salaries, the Minister - who implied, while in Opposition, that nurses would be paid more under a Labour Government - refuses to give DHBs the resources to pay them more.

"Ms King's promises in Opposition gained her widespread support from the nurses' union, but she has failed to deliver. By ring-fencing almost half the small amount of new funding for primary healthcare, the Minister has let nurses down and put hospitals in a hopelessly compromised position.

"Once again, Ms King has raised nurses' expectations - but underfunded DHBs against them. And, with the industrial relations framework putting DHBs under pressure, nurses are left feeling they have no other option but to strike," Mrs Roy said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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