Pay parity for primary health care nurses

Please show your support for pay parity for primary health care nurses by signing our petition. It only takes a few seconds to complete but could make a real difference in achieving an equitable outcome for these member colleagues of yours.

Never has it been more important for NZNO to be seen as a strong collective than in the campaigns we have in 2020. We need all members supporting each others' campaigns.

We have been negotiating the Primary Health Care Multi Employer Collective Agreement (PHC MECA) since November 2019. It covers around 3300 NZNO members who are nurses and administrators in more than 500 GP practices, medical centres and accident and medical centres all over Aotearoa New Zealand.

But did you know that an experienced nurse on the PHC MECA with the same qualifications, skills and experience is currently paid 10.6 percent less than their colleagues working for a district health board (DHB) on the current DHB MECA?

This is completely unjust and undervalues the amazing work these primary health care nurses do in providing expert care and advice which often reduces hospital admissions. Recruitment and retention of PHC nurses is a real issue with this pay difference.

Of note, during the COVID crisis the Government provided additional funding to early childhood education, with private employers, to address staffing shortages due to low pay. This shows that what we are asking for is absolutely possible.

We need your support to urge the government to intervene and direct DHBs to urgently provide the funding needed to remedy this pay inequity. This in turn will ensure quality, accessible and affordable primary health care can continue to be delivered.

Please urgently sign the petition and forward it on to your whānau, friends and colleagues so they can also sign.