Impending nursing strike drives senior nurse to speak out

Senior nurses are staring down the barrel of a strike as they battle for higher wages.

This follows their rejection of the district health boards’ original pay offer in December and a new negotiation offering a two percent pay rise.

Specialist clinic nurse April Hylton said she had never experienced industrial action in her career.

Going on strike was a big decision for nurses as it could be putting people’s lives at risk, said Ms Hylton.

“Nurses need to think about the vocation, the conviction of their patients during their decision to vote. Their lives depend on us,” said Ms Hylton.

While Ms Hylton fears for patient safety during the industrial action, she is nevertheless voting to strike.

In December nurses in the New Zealand Nurses Union rejected an offer made by every DHB.

The new pay negotiation includes a shorter two-year contract, allowing nurses to reevaluate their decision in two years.

Nurses are being offered an increase lump sum payment of $1050 which they will receive if the majority vote to accept the negotiation. If majority of nurses in the union reject it, there will be a national strike.

Ms Hylton said two percent was not enough and did not keep up with inflation. Nurses “need to have a say about their work conditions” because if the impact they had on patients.

Ms Hylton says she fears New Zealand may go down the same track as the National Health Service in Britain. If government funding is not managed adequately and nurses are not paid enough, New Zealand will face a nursing shortage.

Health finance masters student Sophie Coates said it was vital that all clinical members of the health professions were represented and heard.

“If the vote outcome is not refined to better serve the nurses, a nurse strike would be critical for patient safety.”

Ms Coates said the situation was unusual but also said the system was presenting big challenges for nursing staff.

An inadequate number of nurses drastically impacted patient care.

Chances of human error were increased and there was a reduced ability to respond to acute situations, said Ms Coates.

A spokesperson for health minister David Clark’s office said it was inappropriate for the Minister to comment on the nurses’ pay negotiations while they were underway.

The negotiation will be settled on March 23.