Nurses are kicking off their collective bargaining with Te Whatu Ora by taking action for safe staffing on Friday, New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says.

On Friday, NZNO members employed by Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora commence bargaining for their 2024 collective agreement negotiations. Also, at the forefront will be claims reflecting the needs of Māori nurses. Nurses and health workers across the motu will take action on Friday to let Te Whatu Ora and the Government know that safe staffing will be the priority in this year’s negotiations.

NZNO CEO Paul Goulter said cuts to healthcare are making the system worse for patients and for the health workers who provide care.

"Te Whatu Ora needs to be doing everything it can to keep nurses in New Zealand and safe staffing is a critical part of this picture.

"Nurses are taking a stand this Friday because they know it is patients and whanau that suffer when our health system is underfunded, and staffing gaps not filled.

"When nurses look to Australia, they not only see better pay but also better working conditions in the form of safe staffing ratios. Nurses don’t want to work in hospitals that are continuously understaffed and under-resourced."

Among the numerous countrywide activities planned for Friday, Northland health workers will hold a rally outside the office of Health Minister Shane Reti in Whangārei.

Whangārei delegate Sacha Young said this was a prime opportunity to show the minister how the local people feel about recent changes in health.

"He’s our local MP so he’s accountable to us. We need to remind him that we are not seeing improvements in the health system since he’s become the health minister."

Young is upset that once again workers are forced to include safe staffing in bargaining with the employer.

"We would expect that would be a given. It’s sad that decade after decade we have to keep fighting to be safe in our workplace."

Health workers and the public want to see change and they are hoping to see commitment from Te Whatu Ora during this bargaining process, Ms Young said.

Stand with health workers! Join us in calling on Te Whatu Ora and the Government to increase funding for health and to value health workers.

Find the action locations here.