Nurses' vote on fair pay deal holds threat of strikes

By MARTIN JOHNSTON, health reporter

Twenty thousand state sector nurses will vote within weeks on whether to push for a national "fair pay" deal expected to cost the Government about $300 million.

Achieving big pay rises is considered vital by the Nurses Organisation, the main nursing union, to help plug the shortage of at least 2000 nurses in public hospitals.

It will ballot its members at the 21 district health boards from May 10 to see if they want a national collective agreement, the first such pay deal for nurses since 1991.

As well as a potentially huge monetary cost for the Government, the nurses' "fair pay" talks, likely to start in June, carry the risk of nationwide strikes in August. While nurses would maintain life-saving services, much of the health system could be crippled, although a proposed law that might limit health sector strikes could also take effect in August.

A nurses' union manager, Laila Harre, said she hoped the Government would co-operate before the five existing collective agreements expired.

"Our members are very clear that this is fair-pay year.

"This agreement won't be settled without the fair-pay objective being met. If that means backing the claim with industrial action they will take industrial action."

Nurses believe the effort and responsibilities of their job should put their pay between what secondary school teachers and police receive, requiring 21 to 34 per cent rises, depending on seniority.

The median pay rates for non-management registered nurses, including average penal rates, range from $37,000 for new graduates to $50,900. Ms Harre said these needed to increase to $44,800 and $68,400.


"We also want to see an improvement in the level of staffing and will be seeking progress on introduction of mandated nurse-patient ratios."

Health Minister Annette King yesterday kept her public distance from pay talks.

"I don't deal with pay claims. I'm not involved under the [Public Health and Disability] Act."

In the House last year, she said decisions on gender equity in state sector pay, including any possible 2004 Budget funding, would be made in response to the Pay Equity Task Force report.

Women's Affairs Minister Ruth Dyson said the report and the Government's response would be published soon.

The district health boards' spokesman, Tairawhiti board chief executive Jim Green, said that having a national pay agreement would be good for the public because it would improve nurses' work environment by helping to synchronise career progression and clinical practice.