Delayed by COVID-19 surge – proposed pay equity document now set for release

Details of the long-awaited proposal, covering district health board (DHB) nurses, look set to be released in early March.

In a social media post to members, NZNO industrial services manager Glenda Alexander said union lawyers were checking a draft pay equity settlement offer from DHBs.

The settlement, agreed in-principle in December, would boost DHB nurses’ pay in line with other, male-dominated, professions. It covers about 40,000 members of the DHB-employed nursing workforce.

Alexander said the bargaining team and DHBs would meet to confirm the details of the draft in early March. Then it could be released publicly.

It came after a lengthy wait for the document, after delays caused by the impact of the Omicron surge on the DHBs.

Previously, Alexander said the COVID-19 related delays were understandable, but nevertheless “soured” news of the in-principle agreement, made before Christmas.

On February 17, NZNO sent members an outline of the process for a vote on the yet-to-be-released proposal.

The vote would be online, and while negotiated by NZNO and PSA, would include non-union staff.

It would be decided by simple majority, with the dates of the process to be confirmed.

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