Dear PHC MECA Member,

Late last year we emailed you with information about joint work NZNO has been doing with the NZ Medical Association (NZMA) around the lack of funding that is preventing us from reaching agreement with your employers. Read the joint NZNO/NZMA briefing paper.

As we reported, The Ministry of Health responded that they could not guarantee any additional funding. This has left us unable to make further progress on wages and we need your help to let the powers that be know that the funding pay gap must urgently be addressed.

Today NZNO issued a media release warning of an impending nursing shortage crisis in Primary Health. This has already received significant media attention and we will be posting any news stories on the NZNO Facebook page.

Please support us by emailing Deputy Director General of Health Keriana Brooking (keriana.brooking@health.govt.nz). Ms Brooking has asked for evidence that current funding levels are inadequate and we think your story might be just what she needs to hear.

Please tell her how the lower wages you receive (because of the lack of funding) affect your life. Some ideas about how you could express this are found in the media release linked to above.

We won’t put words in your mouth but we do encourage you to be factual and polite when emailing Ms Brooking. Please send your email urgently. Bargaining commences again on Tuesday 28 January and it would be good for as many of our members as possible to have made their views known before that time.

Lastly, we would appreciate it if you copied your email to Ms Brooking to campaigns@nzno.org.nz.

Warm regards and thank you.

Chris Wilson (NZNO Industrial Advisor)
on behalf of your Negotiation Team