Tauranga Hospital midwife Shona Tames (left) and some of her colleagues on the picket line across from the hospital's main entrance. Photo / George Novak
Tauranga Hospital midwife Shona Tames (left) and some of her colleagues on the picket line across from the hospital's main entrance. Photo / George Novak
Hospital midwives from the Bay of Plenty and the Lakes districts were among those who took strike action yesterday, following failed pay negotiations last week.
On Monday, midwives from Northland and three Auckland DHBs walked off the job for eight hours, and yesterday it was midwives from Bay of Plenty,Lakes, Waikato, Taranaki, South Canterbury and West Coast districts' turn.
The eight-hour rolling strikes will continue today and tomorrow in other parts of the country, culminating in a 12-hour strike by all district health boards' midwives on August 19.
During the coming days about 1500 hospital midwives are expected to participate in the rolling strikes nationwide.
Tauranga Hospital midwife Shona Tames, 34, said she and her colleagues had not made the decision to take strike action lightly.
The solo mother was among a dozen midwives standing on picket line opposite the hospital's main entrance waving placards, which attracted lots of toots of support from passing motorists.
Tauranga Hospital midwives waving placards during rolling strike action. Photo / George Novak
"We were not rostered on to work today, but we have taken time out from our days off and busy lives to be here as this is such an important issue for all of us," she said.
"We are just frustrated that despite lengthy negotiations, what we are being offered so far is not fair and reasonable.
"But this isn't just about more pay, it's also the need for increased staffing levels, and improved safety for the women, their babies, staff and for everybody."
"Other midwives working in our post-natal ward couldn't walk off the job as they are part of the life-preserving service team, otherwise they would have joined us on the picket line."
She said the three midwives, a midwife coordinator and an acting midwife manager were the "bare minimum" required to keep the ward open.
Tames said staff retention allowances were vital to keep existing midwives in their jobs and to attract more people to the profession.
She also said if it had not been for Covid-19, she was sure lots of midwives would have moved to Australia where remuneration and work conditions were better.
Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) union co-leader Jill Ovens said the problem was there was limited ability to negotiate directly with the decision-makers about the offer being put forward.
The latest offer on the table was far worse than the two flat-rate increases of $1200 plus $1200 over two years already rejected, she said.
Ovens said the flat pay increases fell short of the Consumer Price Index at 3.3 per cent and midwives experienced big increases in housing, petrol, electricity and food prices.
Members were also expected to accept a 27-month term with no back pay for the six months since the Multi-employer Collective Agreement had expired.
The Agreement involves 20 district health boards across the country.
She said the union supported pay equity and would accept interim payment for pay equity as part of a new deal.
"All we're asking for is the actual pay increase to meet the cost of living."
Ovens told the Bay of Plenty Times she expected the DHB's advocates to come back to the union before August 19 to indicate whether a better offer would be made.
"We will not know what any revised offer is until we actually sit down to resume negotiation talks," she said.
"At this stage, there is no indication to suggest any movement on the rejected offer."
In a written statement, Bay of Plenty District Health Board's nursing director Julie Robinson said yesterday's rolling strike had an impact on both Tauranga and Whakatāne hospitals.
Robinson said the majority of the midwifery workforce at Tauranga and Whakatāne hospitals were MERAS members.
"We take the impact of this strike action seriously and our contingency planning is well underway to ensure people have access to the services they need," she said.
"Here at Bay of Plenty DHB, we are taking this seriously and the safety of our wāhine/women and their pēpi/babies is the most important thing to us.
"No women will be turned away from our delivery suites and if someone is hapū/pregnant, we want to let you know that on that day access to maternity care will be as it normally is."
Robinson said anyone needing transport to and from the maternity units, and all referrals to hospital maternity services would proceed as normal.
Robinson said life-preserving services were being agreed with the union to keep everyone safe during the strike action.
"We respect the midwives right to strike and are continuing to negotiate with them."
Robinson said if any had concerns or questions, they should contact their lead community midwife or the maternity units at Tauranga or Whakatāne hospitals.
