Nurses in Schools a Boost for Low-Income Working Families
 
The Service and Food Workers Union Ngā Ringa Tota supports the Green Party’s Nurses in Schools proposal, announced today.
 
“Thousands and thousands of families struggling on poverty pay rates in New Zealand are counting every cent they spend,” said SFWU National Secretary John Ryall. “Basic heath care should be an absolute right of all children, and should not depend on whether there is money left over after providing food and shelter to pay for it.”
 
The Service and Food Workers Union represents 22,000 workers in some of New Zealand’s lowest paying jobs, including cleaning, caregiving, security and other service work. 
 
“Our members are both dollar and time poor,” said John Ryall. “Not only do they earn very low wages, many work long and anti-social hours. They face too many barriers in accessing health care for their children. The provision of nurses in schools would help put their children on a more even playing field.”
 
John Ryall said the most important way to address poverty was by lifting household incomes.
 
“Poverty wages need to end and momentum is building for a living wage,” he said. “But initiatives like the Nurses in Schools proposal would provide support for low-income working families and reduce the impact of poverty on their children.”

ENDS

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