Negotiations Underway For Southern Nurses

Negotiations Underway For Southern Nurses, Midwives and Health Care Assistants

Negotiations are underway to renew the South Island Nurses and Midwives Multi-Employer Collective Agreement (MECA) for nurses, midwives and health care assistants working in five DHBs across the South Island. The NZ Nurses Organisation and DHB employers completed two days of initial talks yesterday and have adjourned until 11 July to consider the opening claims.

NZNO advocate Glenda Alexander said the NZNO claim was based on closing the base pay gap between nurses in the South Island and their better paid Northern counterparts.

"Our claim reflected the fact that South Islanders are not currently paid equitably compared to other New Zealand nurses, midwives and health assistants," she said.

"Prior to negotiations NZNO members in the South Island joined other NZNO members around the country in endorsing a plan to achieve the goal of fair pay, and our claim was developed in the context of that goal."

The South Island MECA covers 3,000 nurses, midwives and health care assistants in Southland, Otago, South Canterbury, Nelson/Marlborough and the West Coast.

Negotiations for nurses and midwives who work for the Canterbury DHB begin tomorrow.

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