If Nurses are tired now, imagine how exhausted they’d be if Jacinda had failed keeping Covid out

ByMartyn Bradbury

DHBs reduce services as nurses strike today over pay and conditions

Nearly all non-urgent surgery and outpatient clinics have been cancelled today, as thousands of nurses go on strike.

At 11am, nurses will down tools to join marches and pickets across the country as they highlight their anger with pay and working conditions.

Emergency services will still run today and those with urgent medical needs are being told they will still be able to attend hospital or dial 111.

I think the nurses have terribly misread the public support for their industrial action.

Kicked off after Labour used the public service pay freeze to eclipse their Fair Pay Universal Unionism announcement, the Wellington Union Twitterati rage was an echo chamber that thought it had far more support than it really did.

A 17% pay rise is so far outside most NZers personal expectations that industrial action looks self serving not selfless.

Jacinda can point to a desire to pay the poorest nurses more, can point out the same competitive recruitment pressures have been here for 18months with Australia without gutting staffing levels and that beneficiaries had pay rises instead.

There’s also the undeniable truth that if the Nurses are tired now, imagine how much worse it would haven been if Covid actually had got into NZ?

The Union leadership have picked an odd ditch to fight over against one of the most popular Prime Ministers.

Poor tactics, worse strategy.

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23 Comments

  1. Only those completely under the spell of Jacinda would agree with you that nurses are not supported . Having just spent time in Hospital I know first hand how stretched they are . Most know that them or their family will need to go to hospital at some time and it is a worry that they are being looked after by a tired overworked person.
    The Australian mines had to pay well over the odds to get staff so that is what the did . Governments of both parties need to reassess their spending priorities to look after the essential groups like teachers nurses and police
    So far luck has paid a big part in us being Covid free but when luck runs out we will need a full complement of nurses on hand .

    1. I’m sure you know the term Trevor, “you make your own luck”.
      I’m tired of the rhetoric from the likes of Seymour who claim we were lucky with covid. It’s like saying ACT were lucky because National were crap.
      I do agree nurses missed the mark with their wanting 17%
      Perhaps Jacinda should play the John Key card of, “there’s no use going on strike because your not get any more,” or our corrupt Waikato DHB CEO Nigel Murray’s edict at the time, “you need to do more with less”

      1. As you are involved personnally I respect your opinion. I was told the 17% was to bring the wages up to what it should be after the equal pay was worked out . They have been dragging their feet on this for the last year.
        What do you feel is a fair offer to retain and attract nurses to the public hospitals.

        1. Trevor, yes that is this government’s failure. I am deplored the monies owed have not been remunerated and at a loss to know why this has not been done. As for what is fair I guess is for the negotiators and nurses to determine. Obviously there are factors which we are not private too in determining a specific percentage.My own remuneration will be directly impacted by what ever the nurses achieve. Interesting that Little is on the other side of the negotiating table given he was the head of the Engineers Union in the late 90’s fighting for the workers, oh the irony.
          I add that I do not like the threat of nurses on mass leaving for Australia. It would take more than money to get me to live in Australia and to those who wish to go for the money, good luck to them.

          1. Thank you Bert . My son’s live in Australia. 1 is Australian by birth 1 took citizenship. They both say while the money is good it is a tough country to be in if you are not white fit and healthy and NZ people need to understand they get nothing free if they lose their job or need medical help.

          2. Yes Trevor and sometimes good things come in small packages. NZ is a small package.

          3. Take note that 17% was asked by the nurses to be spread over 3 years not in one year. Plus as an above poster says was also including the pay parity segment so it isn’t unreasonable at all.

          4. Your definition of reasonable may be completely different to another’s. Remember the Key years when we got nothing.

          5. Bert – Threatening to move to Australia was a tactical error, and a bit dumb on the nurses’ part – many of us don’t respond well to threats, perhaps more so when there are reasoned arguments to be had, which there certainly are here. It also has the ring of that little turd John Key.

    2. “The Australian mines had to pay well over the odds to get staff so that is what the did”.. Are you saying that is good economics? Considering the vast amount of damage that the Key administration did (with the enthusiastic support of the majority of voters) to NZ’s economic health, and it’s industrial relations, then it’s no surprise that it will take years, or decades to bring balance to the countries systems… You are simply another symptom of why NZ has so badly fucked up what was potentially one of the best places to live in the world… Mindless and self centered support of politicians that owe their allegiance to anyone but the majority of kiwis, then shifting to self centered and irrational/innacurate whining about the fix up taking too long… Which plays into the hands of those who work for the colonial power structure that steals so much from ordinary NZers, that make that wealth… Nzers are their own worst enemy most of the time, and you are just another drone in the swarm..

  2. I do not think that this is the way to win support.
    This is the first time that they do not have my backing.

    1. I know there are 2 sides to every arguement. I would be interested in why you are not on side with the nurses. They are on the coal face and need to be listened too. The claim may not have been so high if this government had back rents and house prices. This claim is only the start as all normal wage earns are feeling the squeeze.

  3. Workers should take action whenever they have the membership strength to have a go imo.

    From a class left point of view however, the public sector union bureaucracies have not helped their union members or the public one little bit. They were mostly nowhere to be seen during the Key years. Struggle?–yeah, nah. Honourable exception of course for the Teachers unions who fought tenaciously against Hekia Parata’s National Standards and the usual ACT style bulk funding, performance pay and Charter Schools.

    Working class people generally need to take more direct action–occupying empty residential and commercial property, consumer boycotts, rent strikes etc.

  4. I would like to see nurses push for a pay increase for nurses working in rest homes as they earn much less than nurses in hospitals and medical centres and have to not only look after elderly people with lots of health issues but manage other stuff such as the carers and kitchen staff

  5. I will care if the government ends my unemployment and gives me a job otherwise I don’t care

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