Simeon Brown is calling on the NZ Nurses Organisation and Health NZ to get back to the negotiating table. Video / Mark Mitchell
Frustrated nurses on a Whangārei Hospital ward have started a five-day partial strike, to protest what they call unsafe staffing levels.
The Ward 4 nurses are refusing to be redeployed to other wards until 7am on Saturday, as part of wider industrial action by members of New Zealand Nurses Organisation.
The union voted to take more action as it negotiates with Health NZ Te Whatu Ora on a collective agreement, including nationwide strikes on September 2 and 4.
In response, Health NZ said it was deeply concerned about the strike action and how it will impact patients.
The partial strike on Ward 4 aims to highlight the gap in nurses across the hospital, nurse and union delegate Chantelle Thompson said.
The ward cares for long-stay surgical patients, who have more complex needs than patients on other wards, she said.
Each shift, nurses are redeployed to other wards, often leaving Ward 4 understaffed and staff frustrated.
“The issue is that it’s happening so frequently - in every shift - that staff are feeling demoralised and feeling like they’re a pawn to be moved by management to fill staffing gaps in the hospital.”
In taking part in the partial strike, nurses risk a 10% wage deduction but they voted to go ahead anyway to highlight the problems, she said.
Whangārei Hospital nurses also took part in a nationwide strike in July and have more planned in September.
Health NZ said it is committed to reaching a settlement with the NZ Nurses Organisation but outstanding issues need to be resolved through further bargaining, not more strike action.
The nationwide strikes planned for early September would result in the postponement of about 2250 planned procedures, 3600 first specialist appointments and 8000 follow-up appointments, if they go ahead, it said in a statement.
Health NZ was completely committed to patient and staff safety and values its nursing workforce, it said.
It was exploring improvements to its safe staffing approach and waiting to receive a coherent approach from the union on this.
More nurses than ever before were working for Health NZ and recruitment to fill current vacancies was continuing, Health NZ said.
The offer to the union was fair and better than many others in the public sector, it said.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
