Kia ora,

Now is the time to vote!

This evening you will be sent a link to vote in the 2019 Primary Health Care MECA Ratification. 

490 employers have said “Yes’ in their ratification process so we now need to proceed to the NZNO ratification process for members in these workplaces.  Members in those workplaces where the employers have said “No” or not participated in the process will be notified tomorrow as to what this means for them.

As you were aware, negotiations began in early November 2019 and went through to late February 2020. In conjunction with the negotiation process, the employer representatives NZMA and Green Cross Health lobbied alongside NZNO for additional funding to deliver current pay parity for nurses with the DHB/NZNO MECA which expires on 31 July 2020. Despite extensive efforts and approaches to the Minister of Health, Ministry of Health and DHB Officials, this valuing of PHC nurses has not yet been attained.

In early March the employers presented NZNO with a final offer for a proposed multi employer collective agreement (MECA) based on what they can currently afford. NZNO is facilitating ratification on this basis.

This Update contains the main changes. The full proposed tracked change MECA and Proposed Terms of Settlement documents can be found at www.nzno.org.nz/phc.

Your Negotiation Team note these key points.

• There is a proposed 2.5 percent increase for all employees currently covered by the MECA backdated to 1 September 2019 and a further proposed 2 percent increase from 1 September 2020.
• The proposed new Term of the MECA is for two years from 1 September 2019 through to 31 August 2021.
• There remain five steps in the RN/PN/MW wage scale (DHB/NZNO MECA Step 6 is currently $36.02 and Step 7 is $37.09).
• There remain three steps in the EN wage scale (DHB/NZNO MECA Step 4 is currently $27.34).
• The employer’s final offer does not include coverage for Nurse Practitioners, Nurses Prescribers or Health Care Assistants/Practice Assistants.
• All other terms and conditions in the current MECA remain.

Where to after the ballot?

If members vote to accept the proposed MECA then it will be duly signed and payments etc. made.

If members vote not to accept the proposed MECA then we will seek to resume bargaining with the employers as soon as is possible.

Ngā mihi,

Your NZNO negotiation team: Chris Wilson, Mike Yeats, Karen Smith, Sarah Redpath and Denise Moore.

EMPLOYERS’ OFFER for a PROPOSED PHC MECA

The changes to the current MECA in this offer are as follows.

3. Term

Delete commencement date and replace with the date the agreement has been ratified and signed.  Delete “31 August 2019” and replace with “31 August 2021”.

9. Rates of remuneration

Replace rates in 9.1.1, 9.1.2 and 9.1.13 with the following:

9.1.1   Registered Nurse/Practice Nurse/Midwife Scale

Step 5: From 01/09/2019: $34.27
Step 5: From 01/09/2020: $34.96

Step 4: From 01/09/2019: $31.12
Step 4: From 01/09/2020: $31.74

Step 3: From 01/09/2019: $29.25
Step 3: From 01/09/2020: $29.84

Step 2: From 01/09/2019: $27.02
Step 2: From 01/09/2020: $27.56

Step 1: From 01/09/2019: $25.63
Step 1: From 01/09/2020: $26.14

9.1.2   Enrolled Nurse Scale

Step 3: From 01/09/2019: $25.80
Step 3: From 01/09/2020: $26.32

Step 2: From 01/09/2019: $24.18
Step 2: From 01/09/2020: $24.66

Step 1: From 01/09/2019: $22.80
Step 1: From 01/09/2020: $23.26

(Note: Step 4 in the DHB/NZNO MECA has been $27.34 since 5/8/19. Further this MECA expires on 31/7/20)

9.1.3   Medical Receptionist/Administration Staff Scale

Step 4: From 01/09/2019: $23.22
Step 4: From 01/09/2020: $23.68

Step 3: From 01/09/2019: $22.53
Step 3: From 01/09/2020: $22.98

Step 2: From 01/09/2019: $21.49
Step 2: From 01/09/2020: $21.92

Step 1: From 01/09/2019: $20.12
Step 1: From 01/09/2020: $20.52

 9.1.4   Coordinator/Lead Nurse/Nurse Team Leader or similar

From 01/09/2019: Hourly rate of $36.39
From 01/09/2020: Hourly rate of $37.12

12. Professional/Educational Development

Delete 12.10.1.1 and replace with the following:

Merit Level 1 for Registered Nurse/Practice Nurse/Midwife/Coordinator/Lead Nurse/Nurse Team Leader or similar

1. Consistently high involvement in the delivery of holistic and patient centric clinical management which improves the health outcomes and inequities for patients with long- term conditions such as COPD, asthma, diabetes and mental health, including using data to establish priority and the measurement of patient progress; running of acute/chronic illness or well person orientated clinics and regular significant contribution to the education and training of staff and patient groups.

2. Utilising relevant second language skills.

3. Provides clinical supervision and/or significant mentoring to new nursing staff, medical students, nurse students and, where applicable, health care assistants, including appropriate documentation.

4. Additional responsibilities e.g. IT, practice/workplace administration, shift team leader.

5. Exemplary performance of routine Registered Nurse/Practice Nurse/Midwife duties

An employee will be eligible for Merit Level 1 where the employee meets three or more of the responsibilities listed above.

Delete 12.10.1.2 and replace with the following:

Merit Level 2 for Registered Nurse/Practice Nurse/Midwife/ Coordinator/Lead Nurse/Nurse Team Leader or similar

1. Holds and utilises postgraduate qualification in Primary Care/Health Science or recognised training in a clinical specialisation. For example, LTC, OCC Health or Triage.

2. Taking appropriate and significant clinical responsibility for workplace accreditation.

3. Undertaking the responsibilities of the Health and Safety Representative/Officer for the workplace.

4. Significant additional workplace income generation either through charging for new services, or significantly contributing to the securing or delivery of additional contracts (for example, but not limited to, additional ACC or PHO service contracts)

An employee will be eligible for Merit Level 2 where the employee meets two or more of the responsibilities listed above.

Add the following new clause:

Domestic/Family Violence Support

Employees who experience domestic/family violence can seek support and assistance from their employer.  Employees dealing with such issues are encouraged to seek confidential assistance from their employer.

Family Violence Leave

Family violence leave shall be granted in accordance with the provisions of the Holidays Act 2003 and its amendments.

This leave is in addition to the annual leave and sick leave provisions in this agreement.

In accordance with the Holidays Act, an employee who is experiencing family violence is eligible for family violence leave after six months current continuous service with the employer; the entitlement is to up to 10 days leave in each subsequent 12 month period.  The employer may require evidence that the employee is affected by family violence.  This section is added to provide general information about the entitlement provided by the Act and does not replace the provisions of the Act.

Flexible Working Arrangements

In accordance with the Employment Relations Act 2000, an employee affected by family violence may request a short-term (two months or less) variation of their employment arrangements to assist the employee to deal with the effects of family violence.