New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) president Anne Daniels said Monday’s settlement was an important step in addressing decades of discrimination in the female-dominated workforce, but nurses were feeling "frustrated and exhausted" ahead of a possible strike next week.
The equity settlement was a move to put nurses back on the rates they should have already been on, and was not a pay rise, she said.
The agreement between Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand (HNZ), NZNO and the Public Service Association was approved by nurses following a vote this week.
Backdated to March 2022, pay would increase by 6.5% for senior nurses, and 4.5% for registered and enrolled nurses as well as healthcare assistants and mental healthcare assistants.
Nurses and assistants would also receive a lump-sum payment of up to $15,000 in recognition of prior work.
Only about half of NZNO members were set to benefit from the settlement, as it did not include nurses not working for HNZ, Mrs Daniels said.
"We still have a huge amount of work to do."
"Yes, we need to stop and celebrate, but pay parity must happen quickly."
Nurses working for other employers such as Māori and iwi health providers, GPs and aged-care residential facilities were again facing a pay gap.
Those in such roles did important work in keeping the community well, but they would be looking at what they could earn with HNZ and considering their future unless they were given pay parity, she said.
Although the settlement had fairly strong support among nurses, not everyone was happy with it, and it would not solve the problems faced by the profession, she said.
This included pay lagging behind inflation, a lack of support while training that contrasted with male-dominated paid apprenticeships, high workloads on the job and people leaving to work overseas.
"Pay is a big incentive.
"However, in terms of attracting people, conditions are a huge factor."
The pay equity issue was unrelated to the ongoing collective agreement negotiations between NZNO and HNZ.
Nurses were now having their say in whether to accept the latest offer, which amounted to a flat rate salary increase of $4000 — or $5000 for senior nurses — and a further 3% next year.
Voting opened yesterday and would close next Monday.
If members voted not to accept the offer, a 24-hour strike planned before it was made would go ahead next Wednesday.
Mrs Daniels said she could not predict the outcome as voting began, but said nurses were feeling frustrated and exhausted.
"We’re all keen for the strike not to go ahead, but we have been given very little choice at this time."
If the nurses chose not to accept the offer, it was because of continued disrespect and huge workloads.
"The unsafe workloads and unsafe environments that we have been subjected to since before Covid came along has taken a toll, and you reap what you sow."
