Indications are the union will vote to strike. Photo: RNZ
The nurses union says Health New Zealand's latest pay offer is a "massive backward step" for the health system and patients, and there are "very strong indications" members will want to strike.
New Zealand Nurses Organisation chief executive Paul Goulter says Health NZ has "given very little, if anything" and "it really throws into doubt the sincerity of the government in trying to settle this".
"We have had clear indication the government is involved - and is increasingly involved - in directing the course of these negotiations.
"It's not bargaining. It's just being told what you're going to get and that's it."
Health New Zealand told RNZ it was committed to reaching an agreement, but it was also "operating within tight financial constraints".
Negotiations began last October, but the union said bargaining had stalled over "big ticket items" centred on public safety and a nationwide strike in December saw a complete withdrawal of labour at every Te Whatu Ora facility.
Early last month, a series of stopwork meetings took place to discuss next steps, after the previous offer was turned down.
Goulter said the key issue was staffing and making sure there was enough staff to "ensure patient safety", which was "foremost in the minds of our members" during negotiations.
"While, obviously, there's a wage element, we're trying to do our best to ensure we get staffing that's appropriate to meet what patients need and we seem to have come up short on that."
Health NZ acting chief executive Robyn Shearer said the agency was committed to reaching an agreement with nurses on the collective agreement, but specified it was operating within "tight financial constraints".
In May, registered nurses were offered a pay increase of 1 percent in 2025 and 1 percent in 2026. This week's latest offer included a "higher 2025 pay increase of 2 percent", Shearer said, "meaning nurses will get a total 3 percent pay increase over two years".
The statement also outlined an offer of two lump-sum payments of $325, which weren't included in the previous offer.
Goulter said that wasn't, on the face of it, "better" and explained it was a "regression actually", because of the extended term.
The previous offer set a term of two years from the expiry of the current collective agreement, while the latest offer adds three months to the term, effectively reducing the value of the wage increases.
Goulter said the first priority was guarantees around staffing and the second was a wage increase that reflected the cost of living.
"The government have come up short on this, on both those scores, and it needs to be fixed."
He also pointed to the withdrawal of Māori issues the union thought were settled, such as a 'tikanga allowance' for nurses required to use tikanga in their daily work with Māori patients.
That and the development of a 'Kaupapa Māori dispute resolution process', which Te Whatu Ora had previously agreed to support, had been removed from the latest offer, without an explanation.
Goulter wouldn't speculate on why they had been removed, but said it was "widely known this government is trying to remove any references to addressing Māori health outcomes".
"This is probably a very low-rent sort of action by the government to attack that.
"Until Māori health outcomes are lifted, this government will stand condemned in the eyes of our members and among the public at large, I'm sure."
RNZ requested an explanation from Health NZ about the removal of those elements from the offer. RNZ also approached Health Minister Simeon Brown, who said this offer was "stronger than most public-sector settlements, many of which have included no increase".
He also noted the government was committed to "ensuring all New Zealanders are cared for on the basis of need and Health NZ is reflecting this principle in the offers it makes to employees".
Overall, Goulter said analysis from union members indicated the new offer was worse than the previous one.
"We're undergoing a wide survey at the moment and our members are really clear that this is taking us backwards, not forward."
He said the next step was to finalise getting feedback from members, but he has "very strong indications" members wanted to move to action to change these circumstances.
"They don't find the circumstances acceptable. At this stage, it looks likely we'll move to a strike ballot."
The Health NZ statement said the overall offer meant a new graduate nurse on $75,773 would gain a total pay increase of $8337, or 11 percent, by the end of June 2026. Most registered nurses are on the highest step, with a current salary of $106,739, and under the new offer, their pay will increase by $3224 to $109,963 in the same period.
The average salary for both senior and registered nurses, including overtime and other allowances, was $125,662.
It also stated the "landscape" for the nursing workforce had changed significantly in recent years, with turnover decreasing from 14 percent in December 2022 to 8.6 percent in December 2024.
Health NZ indicated the offer expired at the end of July, if it wasn't ratified before then.
"We encourage the union to take this offer to their membership for a vote."
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