Representing a third of the pay equity claims scrapped by the Coalition Government, Tōpūtanga Tapuhui Kaitiaki o Aotearoa — NZNO is throwing its full support behind the people’s select committee on pay equity, launched by ex-National MP, Dame Marilyn Waring.
‘It was anti-democratic and an attack on women for the Government not to have consulted the workers whose lives they were changing.’
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NZNO primary health care nurses college chair Tracey Morgan said it was “devastating” for about 5000 primary health care members when their claim was scuppered last month without warning or legitimate reason.
“It was anti-democratic and an attack on women for the Government not to have consulted the workers whose lives they were changing,” Morgan said.
The Government’s amendments to the 1972 Pay Equity Act also made it harder to raise new claims, and were rushed through under urgency on May 8 which meant there was no public consultation.
NZNO members had 12 pay equity claims being progressed across the health sector including aged care, primary health, hospices, Plunket, community and laboratories when the scheme was gutted on May 6.
These claims covered almost 10,000 nurses, health-care assistants (HCAs), allied health workers and administration staff. A further 35,000 Te Whatu Ora members had their pay equity review halted by the changes. The review would have ensured pay equity was maintained with comparative male-dominated occupations.
Primary and community health nurses — like their hospice, Plunket and aged care colleagues — accepted lower wage increases in their collective agreements on the understanding they were likely to receive pay equity settlements, said Morgan.
They are strong wāhine who helped establishment the previous system to address the gender discrimination which has kept down their wages their whole working lives.
“Now they can have their say,” said Morgan, who urged all nurses and kaiāwhina to submit their views to the select committee so they can be heard when it meets in August.
The people’s select committee comprises 10 women and former MPs from across the political spectrum, including Labour, NZ First and the Green Party. They are former Labour MPs, Lianne Dalziel, Nanaia Mahuta, Lynne Pillay and Steve Chadwick; former National MPs Marilyn Waring, Jackie Blue, Jo Hayes and Belinda Vernon; former Green Party MP Sue Bradford and former NZ First MP Ria Bond.
“They are strong wāhine who helped establishment the previous system to address the gender discrimination which has kept down their wages their whole working lives,” Morgan said.
Waring has said the respected former parliamentarians would hold their own select-committee style inquiry and aimed to report back by the end of the year.
“We have a good spread of women who want to hear the evidence that Parliament should have heard,” Waring told Stuff at the May 26 launch in a select committee room dedicated to women leaders.
Most New Zealanders – 68 percent – believe the Government should have consulted on the changes, a new poll has found.
They are estimated to impact at least 180,000 people working in low-paid female-dominated occupations.
