Source: PSA
More than 3,500 mental health and public health nurses and mental health assistants have voted to strike for 24 hours on Thursday 23 October in support of their claim for better pay and conditions.
The workers, who are PSA members, voted overwhelmingly to take strike action following the failure of Health NZ Te Whatu Ora to meet their concerns about safe staffing levels and make a pay offer that reflects their value to the health system. They have been bargaining for the past year.
The strike will run from 7am Thursday 23 October to 6.59am Friday 24 October.
They join more than 11,500 Allied Health workers who are striking from midnight to midnight on 23 October.
“The Government must fund health services properly, so that workers have enough money to live on and can continue to help New Zealanders facing challenges,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
The members are registered mental health nurses and public health nurses – including those working in community and in-patient areas, and mental health assistants who work in in-patient units and in some areas in the community.
“These nurses and mental health assistants work in some of the most demanding parts of the public health system, yet after bargaining for a year, their concerns about staffing levels and fair pay have fallen on deaf ears.”
PSA delegate and community mental health nurse Monique Larsen said the strike action is as much for patients and their families as it is for frontline workers.
“We can’t keep going the way we are now. We’re constantly trying to look after patients with absolute minimum levels of staffing – it’s not sustainable.
“We nurses and mental health assistants are reluctant to do this, but we’ve run out of patience with Health NZ and the Government.
“Our communities’ mental and public health needs have increased significantly post COVID – the impact post-pandemic has been overlooked. We’ve seen a massive increase of drug and addiction issues putting heaps of pressure on our mental health and addictions and ED services.
“We’re really worried about the whaiora who will slip through the cracks if we don’t properly resource services now and look after our existing and future healthcare workers. At current levels, we’re putting the health of our patients at risk.”
PSA delegate and registered mental health nurse Roy Bicknell said the nurses have been at the bargaining table for over a year with little to show for it.
“We don’t take industrial action lightly – we have patients relying on us for help. But when Health NZ has repeatedly refused to meet us on key health and safety issues, we don’t see any other option.
“Every day I see staff battle to provide quality healthcare in unsafe working environments, with few policies or procedures to support them. We want Health NZ and the Government to listen to workers and understand the real issues here and then commit to properly funding the healthcare system so we can all benefit.”
Fleur Fitzsimson said; “If these essential health workers are not properly valued, more will leave for Australia – that doesn’t serve anyone well.”
