Above: Ōtautahi/Christchurch stopwork meeting, 30 September 2020

PHC MECA Update 2 October 2020

Kia ora koutou,

Stopwork meetings

A big thank you to all those who attended either the face-to-face or Zoom meetings

The turnout was positive; not forgetting we were in COVID, school holidays or Harbour Bridge times and a meeting was even cancelled due to snow.

The photos received are great and we will get more through on Monday.

The Resolution was overwhelmingly supported at each of the 34 meetings held and the feedback on options for any necessary future strike action are flowing in. We will report on the outcome later next week.

We have issued a media release this afternoon in relation to the Resolution and next steps and that is included below.

We will release the open letter to PM Jacinda Adern on Monday and will include this in Monday’s update to you.

For clarity, when we issue a media release it does go out to all media outlets national and regional. As the campaign has stepped up over the last two months the media coverage has certainly raised our profile and contributed to the recent acceptance that there should now be pay parity.

Keep an eye on the NZNO Facebook page where we do post key articles.

Thank you all again for your passion, commitment and time. We are closer to achieving our goal!

Ngā mihi,

Chris Wilson 

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MEDIA RELEASE

Primary health care workers ballot for further industrial action if no quick resolution

More than 3400 primary health workers across more than 500 general practices and accident and medical centres have voted overwhelmingly for further industrial action if there is no resolution that addresses pay parity.

The resolution adopted at the 34 stop work meetings held on Wednesday 30 September reads, “Unless there is additional funding allocated for pay parity enabling negotiations to resume on this basis by 14 October we support a ballot then commencing for further industrial action.”

NZNO Primary Health Care Industrial Advisor Chris Wilson said this time-frame has been proposed, in good faith, to allow for a resolution without further disruption to Primary Health Care (PHC) services. In the meantime, NZNO is discussing with members what form that industrial action will take if it has to go ahead.

Following a meeting on 24 September between Ministry of Health and DHB representatives, the NZMA and Green Cross Health, they put out this key message: 

"The Ministry of Health, DHB representatives, the NZMA and Green Cross Health met on 24 September 2020 to gain a common understanding of progress in the Primary Care MECA bargaining. It was a useful and productive meeting during which all meeting attendees gained a better appreciation of the issues, and recognised and agreed on the need for a consistent, sustainable approach to pay parity across the health system. Primary care nurses are seen as a priority workforce for progressing pay parity. Meeting attendees have agreed to work together on this issue, with an initial focus on the Primary Care MECA.”

Ms Wilson said that while it was positive to hear there is now a commitment to pay parity in the PHC MECA, particularly after one year of extensive lobbying, this was not evident at negotiations that followed on 28 September. Instead NZNO were informed by the employer parties that matters are still being worked on by the District Health Boards and Ministry of Health and that it may take some weeks.

“Our members have said this is simply not good enough. They are not prepared to be fobbed off with a statement like this, particularly when projected costings and extensive information was given to the then Minister of Health a year ago,” she said.

“We are constantly hearing about nurses who have changed jobs outside of Primary Health Care and that’s because of the 10.6% pay parity gap not because they are not committed to the PHC sector,” she said.

“We can avoid this crisis scenario but it requires a commitment to an urgent resolution, says Ms Wilson.

Below: Kirikiriroa/Hamilton stopwork meeting, 30 September 2020