Striking Gisborne nurses donate vouchers to children’s ward, appreciate public support

Gisborne nurses Emma Zame (left), Tanya Fowell, Mari Isnit, Lisette Mugridge, with Richelle Tarsau and Christine Warrander, both of whom are also New Zealand Nurses Organisation delegates, at Gisborne Hospital's Planet Sunshine with supermarket vouchers for patients and families.

Nurses presented $750 of supermarket vouchers to Gisborne Hospital’s Planet Sunshine children’s ward on Monday, which will be made available to young oncology patients and their families.

The money was raised during the nurses’ July strike for better patient safety and pay.

During their latest strike in early September, Gisborne nurses and New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) members collected canned food for foodbanks and canned petfood for the SPCA.

Striking nurse and NZNO delegate Christine Warrander said nurses appreciated the community support they had received.

“It boosts our morale when they take the time to give us toots and cheers of support when we are on the picket line.

“To show our appreciation and to give back to the community we have done fundraising while on strike and have raised $750, which has gone on Pak’nSave vouchers.”

Warrander said nurses were aware of the impact of their strikes.

“But unsafe staffing has a bigger impact on the community with surgeries getting postponed [and] patients getting care rationing, with their nurses not able to do everything they would like in a timely manner.

“There simply are not enough nurses for the increasing number of people needing healthcare.

“Both in the community and in the hospital setting, they are presenting sicker, with more complex needs.”

Striking NZNO members around the country have also fundraised for community organisations or donated blood.

This week, NZNO filed the first two pay equity claims under the coalition Government’s new stricter regime.

The claims are on behalf of 750 hospice members and 800 Plunket members.

Hospice and Plunket are the most advanced of NZNO’s 12 previous claims, which were scrapped overnight with the Government’s changes on May 6.

NZNO pay equity spokesperson Glenda Alexander said it would meet with each employer separately to progress the respective claims as set out under the new law.

“The employers will now be required to confirm the claims have met the merit and other thresholds required under the new regime,” Alexander said. “A process to assess the claims will then be set up.

“We know all parties to the two claims are keen to see a positive outcome for these nurses.”

Last week, senior doctors, including those at Gisborne Hospital, voted to go back on strike for 24 hours on September 23 and 24.

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) said Health New Zealand’s latest pay offer would have resulted in “a real pay cut” for most members,

“For 90% of senior doctors and dentists covered by our collective agreement, this offer would have represented an annualised pay increase of just 1.16% per year.

“Escalating strike action is a last resort, but Health New Zealand must make ASMS members an offer that ensures that specialist salary rates remain competitive and allows Health New Zealand to recruit the medical workforce Aotearoa needs.”

Senior doctors voted by 3165 votes to 558 to strike.

ASMS and Health New Zealand have been locked in negotiations for over a year. Senior doctors went on a 24-hour strike in May.