Lakes And Whanganui Nurses Still Waiting For Holiday Pay A Decade On

Nurses at Lakes and Whanganui districts are calling on Te Whatu Ora to explain why after a decade of redress, they still don’t know when they will receive their full Holiday Act remediation payments, NZNO says.

While current Te Whatu Ora workers at all other 18 districts have received their full and final remediation payments, those at Lakes and Whanganui will have to wait until August and October respectively for an interim payment up to 31 December 2025. In an update to staff last month, Te Whatu Ora said the balance would be paid in early to mid 2027.

Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO Whanganui delegate and Whanganui Base Hospital nurse Eugene Kennelly says members understand Whanganui and Lakes were more difficult districts to remediate.

"Te Whatu Ora has explained that in our districts, historic paper-based timesheets need to be digitised before payments can be finalised.

"But it beggars belief it has taken more than a decade to do this. It is also baffling that we will get an interim payment up until the end of last year.

"Why is Te Whatu Ora still remediating Holiday Act payments for 2026? Shouldn't the payrolls for Whanganui and Lakes be compliant with the Holiday Act by now?"

Lakes delegate and Rotorua Hospital nurse Lyn Logan says Te Whatu Ora needs to prioritise this work so workers can get their payments faster.

"We have waited long enough. There are new staff at Lakes who are getting their payments as former workers from other districts and current workers haven’t received a red cent.

"This is effectively wage theft.

"Nurses have died waiting for these payments. It is disgraceful. Te Whatu Ora should treat their hardworking nurses better," Lyn Logan says.

© Scoop Media