Midwives protest
Midwives staged a protest on Kawakawa's main street yesterday as part of a two-hour national strike. Christine Byrne, of Meras (the New Zealand College of Midwives), said up to 12 members on the picket line from 10am to noon received a ''really positive reaction with lots of waving and
tooting''. Some midwives stayed in the maternity unit to provide life-preserving services. Byrne said midwives felt they were being listened to by the Government for the first time in many years but still had a long way to go, as midwives were leaving the profession ''in droves'' because of low pay. They had been offered the same settlement as nurses but wanted district health boards to recognise them as a separate profession. They also felt nurses had settled for less than they deserved, Byrne said. Action was Northland-wide but the only picket was in Kawakawa. Independent midwives are covered by a different pay agreement.
Robbery accuseds remanded
Two men accused of the armed robbery of Waipapa Superette have been remanded in custody after appearing in the Kaikohe District Court earlier this week. Phillip Wiparata, 22, of Okaihau, and Rihari McGregor, 21, of Rahiri Settlement, are jointly accused of aggravated robbery of two female staff at the store on November 10. Police say Wiparata, whose profession is given as a timber processing worker, was armed with an air rifle and McGregor had a hammer. An undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes was taken. The two men are also jointly charged with unlawfully taking a Nissan Primera car, which was later used in the robbery, from an Okaihau address. McGregor faces an additional charge of burgling an address on Settlers Way in Okaihau on November 7 or 8. The men appeared in court on Thursday after being caught on Wednesday. They are due back in court on December 18.
Hātea Loop Challenge
Entries to an event which challenges workers to get out of the office and on to the pavement close tomorrow. The Ray White Hātea Loop Challenge, which is all about celebrating Whangārei's Hātea Loop and workplace health, is on Thursday from 6pm.
The 4.8km run/walk, which starts and finishes at the Hīhīaua Peninsular near the wave and waka sculpture, gives workplaces the chance to have fun and challenge one another. There will also be on-course entertainment and a fun festive social atmosphere at the finish line. To participate, you have to enter as part of a workplace/organisation team. Participants must be employed — or volunteer for a minimum of 20 hours a year for the organisation - or be immediate family of an employee. To enter, visit hatealoopchallenge.co.nz, entries close tomorrow unless sold out prior.