The strike by district health board (DHB) members aimed to gain better pay, conditions and boost patient safety. It followed lengthy negotiations, and an effective public sector pay freeze that came as a slap in the face to members.
In Wellington, hundreds marched to Parliament to hear from MPs – including Health Minister Andrew Little.
Leading off the march were NZNO kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku and acting president, and vice president, Tracey Morgan.
Little fronted on the steps of Parliament to a crowd of hundreds, who eventually drowned out his attempts to explain the Government’s position.
But far away from politicians in Wellington, NZNO members and their supporters were gathering outside hospitals and clinics, and marching on the streets in the four corners of the whenua.
Enthusiasm and feelings were running high – but with the nation’s health tied up in the negotiations, so were the stakes.
