In an historic ballot, which closed at noon today, nurses, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora covered by the Nursing Pay Equity claim voted overwhelmingly to accept a proposed settlement.

Those voting included members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO); the Public Service Association (PSA) and other part and present employees of Te Whatu Ora who do not belong to a union.

The proposed settlement arose from mediation between Te Whatu Ora, NZNO and the PSA who have been in litigation over the claim in the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and Employment Court since early 2022. The three parties have agreed that this litigation will now cease.

NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter said the robust outcome is a significant milestone in the history of nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand.

"This is a long overdue step towards addressing the significant gender-based inequality nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora face in their work every day. But it is also just a beginning, and we look forward to working with Te Whatu Ora to address other forms of gender-based discriminations nurses face."

However, he said NZNO will not rest until these new rates addressing gender inequality were extended to every nurse, everywhere in Aotearoa New Zealand.

"The need for Pay Parity across all nursing sectors is well-established and not in dispute. That all nurses are paid the same according to their qualifications and experience is a matter of wage justice."

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The Government’s Smokefree Laws Debacle

The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable view is that the government was being deliberately misleading. Are we to think Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is a fool or a liar? It seems rather early on in his term of office to be facing that unpleasant choice... More