Most strike action involved waving placards and flags but next week’s activities would see the NZNO members get more innovative, said delegate and Hutt Valley nurse Sioban Van der Linden. “We will continue to do the toot for support strike rallies but we are also going to find time to be extra useful and give back to our communities directly,” she said.  “That means bleeding and feeding, which is what a lot of our nurses do anyway in their own time. It’s just that this will be the first time we do it as a collective.” Van der Linden and other NZNO delegates in the Hutt Valley had been having regular meetings leading up to next week’s strike action, where concern was raised about “misleading narratives” against striking nurses.  “We aren’t turning our backs on our patients or our communities. We will use the two strike days to be useful and helpful, by giving two things that there’s a huge need for right now. “We’re in touch with our communities, we know it is tough out there right now, and it’s not just nurses suffering.” She said many members were already scheduled to give their blood next week at a local church. “Anyone who knows a nurse well, will know they do not like standing around doing nothing.” On Tuesday at 12pm, NZNO members would meet outside Queensgate mall in Lower Hutt and walk about 10 minutes down the road to the food bank on High Street, to deliver their food donations.  “We’ve encouraged all our members to bring one food item, and any member of the public is welcome to join us as well.” On Thursday at 2pm, members would meet on the footpath in front of Hutt Hospital then march along High Street towards the nearby Knox Church where the blood bank would be operating. |
What’s happening around the country?
More than 70 strike activities will be happening throughout the country on Tuesday and Thursday, from candlelight vigils, to the usual rallies, pickets and marches.
The public is welcome to support members at any of these activities. To find out what is happening near you, click here Why are they striking?About 36,000 Te Whatu Ora nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora are going on strike on September for 2 and 4 for safe staffing and patient safety, NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter said. “They have had enough of their patients waiting for care because they are too busy to get them. They became health-care workers because they want to help people and give them the care they need.”
Auckland NZNO delegate Liandra Conradie said she was pleased with the decision to strike, “it was definitely needed”. “I think members are pretty much fed up and that’s why we’ve got such a good turnout on the strike ballot.” Southland delegate Charleen Waddell said the members needed to keep applying pressure “to make sure we get those changes”. “We understand people are losing pūtea [money] but the reality is we need to get it right now, so we can continue on into the future.” |
