It’s Time to Address Nurses' Pay Issues

Tuesday, 25 March 2003, 6:19 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Council of Trade Unions

It’s Time to Address Nurses' Pay Issues

A discussion paper released today on fair pay for nurses and midwives is a substantial and researched contribution to achieving pay equity,” Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

“There are significant recruitment and retention issues for many female-intensive professions including nurses, midwives and caregivers. If we want a high quality health system we need to value the workers providing those services,” he said.

“It is reasonable for nurses to expect that Government, employers and unions will sit down and examine the evidence and develop a strategy to address any pay equity issues identified,” he said.

Ross Wilson said the paper identified the need for tripartite agreement around the objectives of pay equity, reasonable workloads, and recruitment and retention of a skilled and professional workforce.

“Internationally there is recognition that many pay inequities result from structural discrimination and cannot be addressed solely through collective bargaining,” he said.

“The CTU is certainly willing to play its part in any pay equity discussions within the health sector tripartite forum which has already been established,” he said

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New Zealand Council of Trade Unions

Te Kauae Kaimahi

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi brings together over 350,000 New Zealand union members in 40 affiliated unions. We are the united voice for working people and their families in New Zealand.

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