28 May 2018

Nurses strikes to go ahead: 'We need 11 percent right now'

From Morning Report, 7:10 am on 28 May 2018

Public hospital nurses and midwives have voted to strike for two days in July. The Nurses' Organisation spokesperson Cee Payne says the current pay offer is inadequate and industrial action will go ahead unless the District Health Boards come up with something better this afternoon. The only time nurses and midwives have held a national strike was almost 30 years ago. Ms Payne tells Guyon Espiner: "We need about 11 percent right now to be on parity with teachers... Part of the solution is not just to have additional staff but to attract more people to the industry. Pay & staff go hand in hand."