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Kia ora
The online Te Whatu Ora Collective Agreement ratification ballot closed at 5pm today.
We confirm that it was a close vote by members to accept the proposed collective agreement.
Te Whatu Ora is being advised that the collective agreement has been ratified through NZNO’s internal processes. The new collective agreement will now be signed by representatives of Te Whatu Ora and NZNO and work will immediately get underway on implementation.
I want to acknowledge what has gone on in this hyper extended dispute of 20 months. An incredible performance of solidarity and growing industrial ability as you all fought for what should be really simple - enough trained and qualified nurses to do the job that's needed. I know this result will be disappointing to a number who were prepared to fight on. I can assure you that NZNO had those steps ready if the member vote had gone that way just as we have the plan ready for what is now this result. But the issues don't go away just because this collective agreement has been ratified. There are plenty of issues left to fight and I pick just one - the due recognition of the contribution of senior nurses. We push on from here. For next steps please see below.
While these collective agreement negotiations are finished, NZNO members in every district will keep fighting for progress on our key issues. We will immediately begin using the following channels to continue pressure on Te Whatu Ora and the Government to value the nursing workforce and take action for safe staffing:
- Work will get immediately underway on a number of projects that were agreed in these negotiations. This includes launching a timebound work programme to research culturally appropriate nurse-to-patient ratios. We will also use the opportunities won in bargaining to make the Care Capacity Demand Management system more transparent, enforceable and accountable. We will work with Te Whatu Ora on the implementation of the new safe staffing clause. We will continue work on the designated senior nurse pay scale review. And there is more - full details of what was achieved in bargaining can be found in the Terms of Settlement .
- As we head into the general election campaign, Te Whatu Ora members are getting ready to campaign alongside nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora working in other parts of the health sector. In recent months NZNO members across the country have been establishing the new Local Organising Group structures and these will be a key way that we plan activity to ensure public and political support for our fixes as we head into the November election.
- The new collective agreement will expire in October 2027. Preparations will begin early in the new year for the next round of negotiations.
- NZNO members have also voted in favour of the bargaining fee. To be clear a bargaining fee would not apply to NZNO members, it would apply only to Te Whatu Ora employees who work within the coverage of the collective agreement but are not members of NZNO or another union. The next step will be for Te Whatu Ora to start balloting those non-union members and the combined result of that ballot and our ballot will determine whether a bargaining fee applies to non-union members.
I want to acknowledge the hard work of our bargaining team who represented more than 38,000 NZNO members during 20 months of bargaining: Dawn Barrett, Al Dietschin, Debbie Handisides, Glenda Huston, Lyn Logan, Noreen McCallan, Rachel Thorn, Nano Tunnicliff and Maria Tutahi.
The last 20 months has seen historic levels of industrial and campaign action by NZNO members. Thank you to our 1000 delegates at Te Whatu Ora who ensured members in their worksites were informed and involved at each step of the process. I also want to acknowledge those members who showed leadership and contributed to building our power by organising and joining local strike action, leading stop work meetings and rallies and being media spokespeople.
Ngā mihi,
Paul Goulter, CEO
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO
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