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Kia ora colleagues,
The actions you took throughout 2025 were unprecedented. You undertook the most strikes by public hospital nurses in the history of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Visibility strikes continuing over the Christmas and New Year break and kept the pressure on Te Whatu Ora. They have also raised public awareness of the dire need to properly resource the public health system.
While some progress has been slowly made over the past 16 months, agreement has only been reached on 13 of 40 issues taken into bargaining by members.
We have achieved a rewording of the shift coordinator clause which clarifies the application of this payment. We also obtained an additional step in the Enrolled Nurses pay scale, reflecting the expanded scope of practice.
However, the Government continues to reject many of your claims.
There has been no commitment to establishing enforceable safe staffing levels as determined by CCDM calculations. No commitment to implementing nurse to patient ratios beginning with a research programme with enforceable recommendations. Or enforceable higher levels of nurse graduate hires. Hiring our new nurses is critical to developing a homegrown and sustainable workforce.
We also need to see a commitment to recognise and value the work of Designated Senior Nurses and to have the all-important te Tiriti claims around the tikanga process and Māori resolution disputes process reinstated.
We also know that in the past 16 months, the cost of living has risen even higher and many whānau are doing it tough.
Pay remains a significant barrier to the settlement of our collective agreement. Te Whatu Ora’s current position does not meet your claim for a wage increase that matches increases to the cost of living.
This is no doubt disappointing for you, as it is for us.
We want to hear from you
It’s now a new year and it is time to look at where we are going.
It is also time to report back to members and hear from you what direction our next steps should take. To do this, we will be holding meetings in the week beginning Monday 9 February.
Te Whatu Ora has agreed you can attend these meetings; and we encourage you to come along.
Meetings are being organised in every district. Look out for information locally about meetings at your worksite.
We will also be surveying members to ensure everyone has an opportunity to give their feedback and their view of how we move forward from here.
Look out for the survey which will be launched on Wednesday 11 February and close on Tuesday 17 February, ahead of the next scheduled bargaining dates. It’s confidential, anonymous and won’t take you long to complete. It’s important that we hear from every one of you as we plot the year ahead.
A message from your team
Please know your bargaining team is not ready to give up. We believe we can achieve more of what you need to do your job safely and be paid fairly for your hard work.
Your team is 100% united in its belief we have come too far to walk away now with less than you asked for. I would personally find it soul destroying.
However, we understand some of you may be frustrated by how long we have been in bargaining.
That’s why we need to hear from you.
Please make sure you have your say!
Yours in solidarity,
Noreen McCallan, Bargaining team chair
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO |
