Article category: Opinion

Ahead of the 2022 Budget, apprenticeships have been given a $230 million funding boost while negotiations between care workers and the Government have fallen apart. It’s hard not to see this as a gender equity issue.

The sudden crisis of COVID-19 has highlighted the deepening inequities in such a dramatic way and laid visible the major challenges within the health sector. On the back of the global pandemic there was always going to be difficult economic and social outcome decisions. With the Budget looming, the political debate about where to invest has already begun.

After a “clear and strong” member mandate to turn the district health boards’ pay equity proposal over to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) to determine backpay, senior nurse rates and how to safely cement pay equity into the system, NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter shares his views.

For some time, the Nursing Council has been considering how to improve the way we assess and register internationally qualified nurses (IQNs), to ensure that our processes are robust and fair.