Hawke's Bay midwives find 'solidarity' in Parliament pay march

LMC midwives (left-right) Kylie Gilbert, Sarah Glass and Annie Frogley at Civic Square before the march to Parliament. Photo / Supplied

A group of local LMC midwives who marched on Parliament last week are hailing the road trip a success.

A dozen LMC (Lead Maternity Carer) midwives from Hawke's Bay travelled to Wellington on Thursday to join hundreds of their colleagues in demanding better pay and working conditions ahead of Budget day this month.

College of Midwives Hawke's Bay sub region secretary Annie Frogley said the marchers were pleased they put in the effort to travel to Wellington.

"It was really good as far as solidarity and our 'midi sisters' all in one place with everybody in agreement that things have got to change because they can't stay the same.

"Whether or not it's made a difference remains to be seen. I think if nothing else it has certainly brought more awareness to the public of what we actually do."

Frogley said several clients had raised their working conditions since the publicised march, one of several held throughout the country.

"I've never spoken to my clients before about pay and money but I'm really starting to because I think it's the women that are going to suffer.

"People are horrified and I always say it's not about making them feel guilty, I still think that maternity care should still be free, but the Government can't just expect us to keep doing it for nothing."

The College of Midwives began fighting for pay equity across the country three years ago and last year reached an agreement with the Ministry of Health to design a new funding model for community-based (LMC) midwives.

Hawke's Bay LMC midwife Sarah Glass, who wants the model to be properly funded, said it was amazing to be part of a large gathering of midwives.

"It was a really positive thing. I think it felt really good to do one last thing to make sure the Minister of Health understood the power behind what we had to say."

She remained unsure if nationwide efforts would result in the outcome they sought on Budget day.

"For me it was disappointing that there was no pre-Budget announcement.

"It would have been nice for him to give us a hint as to what is coming, given that we were all there, but he didn't do that which makes me suspicious that he thinks we won't be happy with the answer."

Frogley said while she wanted to be an optimist about what to expect come Budget day, she wasn't confident it would deliver the increase needed to keep women in the job.

"I think there will be some increase it's just whether or not it's enough... I think there's certainly a number of midwives who are at breaking point and will literally go 'that's it, I'm out'."