Bupa has proposed restructuring 17 sites — a move which would reduce the total number of nursing and caregiving hours and has led to several pickets in Auckland including two at Wattle Downs so far. A third at Wattle Downs is planned for this Wednesday at 1.30pm.
Resident Shirley Jordan was on the frontline of the first one on February 21 at Bupa’s Wattle Downs facility in Manukau — unbeknownst to her daughter, Linda Jordan.
Mum turned to me and said: ‘You know, I can just see your father standing next to you’.
“When they did the first picket, we didn’t know anything about it, they kept it all hush hush — then I said to my husband: ‘There’s mum, she’s out there on the picket line’!”
Last Thursday, Shirley was joined on a second picket by Linda, Linda’s husband Owen Thompson and two granddaughters, along with a few other residents.
“We said ‘we have to do something — this isn’t good enough’,” Linda said.
“Mum turned to me and said; ‘You know, I can just see your father standing next to you’,” Linda said.
“Dad was a strong unionist, I’ve been a strong unionist — my husband is as well. So it was just a natural thing for us to go out there and support the workers. These are people who work really, really hard to make sure the residents are looked after well.”
Shirley had been living at Bupa Wattle Downs for about six years and the family were deeply concerned about the impact of cuts on residents and workers.
“There are times now the residents say they are waiting too long [ for care] . . . if they cut more stuff, something else has to go.”
After Shirley was taken out, Bupa management had warned staff they were not allowed to take residents out to the picket line, Linda said. Despite that, several more had turned out last week to protest with the help of their families.
Bupa is one of the country’s largest aged-care providers with 3000 workers. It reported an operating profit of just under $12 million in the year to December 2023.
Affected sites in the northern region are Erin Park, Glenburn, Hugh Green, Merrivale, Northhaven, Remuera, Sunset, Totara Gardens and Wattle Downs; in the central region Crofton Downs, Fergusson, Riverstone, Stokeswood, Te Whānau, Whitby and Winara; and The Booms in Thames.
