Good afternoon everyone
Following the NZNO’s ballot on strike action, the NZNO has today confirmed that an overwhelming majority of their members have voted to strike and this will be proceeding for eight hours on Thursday 3rd September from 8.00am to 4.00pm. Formal notice from the Union will be sent next Wednesday 26 August in order to comply with notice requirements. In the meantime, we are finalising an advisory to assist employer parties and GPs to understand the process and to meet their contractual, legal and professional obligations and this will be sent early next week. We fully acknowledge the additional pressure and stress this will have on practices, particularly with the resurgence of COVID-19, but as you are aware negotiations have been ongoing since November last year. No stone been left unturned seeking the funding required to close the pay gap between primary care nurses and their hospital colleagues. An opportunity exists right now for the Government to commit to pay parity and the required funding to General Practice to resolve this situation and avoid strike action. We continue to urge them to do so. If you have any questions or concerns please send them through as this will help ensure our advisory next week is comprehensive and gives you the information you need to know. We are already aware that there is some discussion whether GPs and practice teams can also strike in support. The Act provides that participation in a strike is lawful if the strike is lawful under the Act, and it relates to bargaining for a collective agreement that will bind each of the employees concerned. Participation is unlawful if that's not the case. This means that as doctors aren't covered by the collective bargaining in question, they can't strike. This doesn't stop you
taking other action if you wish to express support.
We will also provide information on Life Preserving Services and the provisions under the Employment Relations Act. The NZNO’s bulletin is copied below.
Kind regards Robyn –––––
>> NZNO bulletin
We know you will have not taken this decision lightly but it is a very clear indication of your frustration and disappointment that you continue to be undervalued. Of course, life has changed in the last 48 hours with Aotearoa New Zealand’s COVID-19 status and this has introduced unanticipated complexities and stressors which we can work through together. We appreciate there will be concerned comment on the strike ballot outcome given the COVID-19 context. However, in response to those concerns we will be very clear that, a) we have been endeavouring to resolve this matter for far too long, b) we have responsibly contacted the appropriate people in undertaking this ballot; and c) that the ballot was already well underway by the time recent COVID-19 announcements were made. Above all else we will be clear that common sense and justice must prevail, particularly when you are being called on again for your expertise to stem COVID-19. There are three weeks until the actual strike would take place on 3 September, and this is more than enough time, if the political will is there, to achieve a resolution without the strike needing to proceed. This resolution would be in the interest of all of Aotearoa New Zealand and undoubtedly would have the full support of your communities.
Where to next When we give the formal notice of the strike we also need to advise the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. They will ask the parties to return to mediation in an attempt to resolve the matter before any strike would proceed. This will be a critical opportunity to utilise. The focus now for NZNO and the employer representatives will be urgently contacting all relevant stakeholders about your strike ballot result and requesting urgent intervention to achieve a resolution. If a new proposed collective agreement can be reached then there are options such as withdrawing the strike notice to enable ratification by NZNO members. But again, if there was a real intention to resolve the disparity, the Government would offer a tangible short term outcome that would lead to reconsidering strike action.
What else has happened in the last week Last week NZNO CE Memo Musa sent correspondence to Prime Minister Jacinda Adern, Minister of Health Chris Hipkins, Minister of Finance Grant Robertson, Minister of Workplace Relations Andrew Little and Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter, seeking intervention. We received a reply to Memo’s 15 July correspondence to Ashley Bloomfield on 7 August from Clare Perry, Acting Deputy Director-General Health System Improvement and Innovation Ministry of Health. She thanked our members for “providing essential care and keeping New Zealanders safe during this extraordinary time. ” and “acknowledge[s] your concerns about the disparity between district health board (DHB) and primary care employed nurses. This matter is broader than just primary care nurses and must consider all nurses not employed by DHBs (i.e nurses in aged residential settings and iwi- based providers).” This week it was also reported by the Ministry of Health that, “The Minister has agreed for the Ministry to progress further work on pay parity in relation to the health sector which we are doing." While these are positive comments given where we started off in this campaign, we don't yet have details on what this work entails. We will keep you up-to-date as things develop. We appreciate we are again in extraordinary times but take heart knowing we are in this together. Take care and keep safe. <<