NZNO HNZCA
Campaign 2022

Te Whatu Ora has presented an offer for settlement in bargaining which falls well short of the claims put forward by members. 

• Click here to see NZNO members’ full claims 
• Click here to see Te Whatu Ora’s offer in the Terms of Settlement. Please note that this is the original offer. However, Te Whatu Ora subsequently proposed increasing the offer on pay. The new offer on pay is explained in the summary of the offer below. Te Whatu Ora has not adjusted its offer on the core issues of staffing and member health and safety.
• The offer summary is outlined below.  Click here to view or download the offer summary as a PDF
• Click here to view the proposed pay scales 

 

Te Whatu Ora offer summary 

Term

The collective agreement would expire on 31 October 2024, a two-year term from the expiry of our current collective agreement.

Pay

The Te Whatu Ora offer sets out a $4,000 increase to all base rates from 1 April 2023 and a further increase of either $2,000 or 3% increase (whichever is the higher) to all base rates on 1 April 2024.

Back pay is not offered between the expiry of the collective agreement on 31 October 2022 and the increase in rates from 1 April 2023. Instead, Te Whatu Ora proposes a lump sum payment of $500 (pro rata) to recognise the delay.

There is no offer to address the disruption in relativities for the senior nursing group.

Where health care assistants work in a mental health unit, the new Mental Health Assistant pay scale will apply.

NZNO has been in discussions with Te Whatu Ora about an advance payment for members covered by our Midwifery Pay Equity claim. Te Whatu Ora has agreed that if such a payment is made, they will apply the pay offer on top of any advance Pay Equity payment.

The pay offer falls well below increases in the cost of living experienced by members, with inflation rising 7.2% per year at the time we started negotiations and now sitting at 6.7%.

Implement a staffing safety net based on staffing/patient ratios, which can be built upon using CCDM

This claim provides for minimum staffing levels in all practice settings and it would do so in a way which is enforceable and provides clarity when staffing levels and skill mix are not met. Te Whatu Ora made no offer on this claim.

Safe working conditions - Supporting Health and Safety at work

There are a variety of claims aimed at strengthening the role of health and safety (H&S) reps and improving H&S at work. These included setting a timeframe by which H&S reps must receive training, providing additional training for H&S reps, the sharing of relevant H&S information and the inclusion of appropriate time and resources for H&S reps in our collective agreement.  Te Whatu Ora made no offer on those claims. 

Actualising Te Tiriti

Te Whatu Ora proposed that they and NZNO commit to working together to find appropriate ways to actualise te Tiriti through engagement forums and that we recognise that it is a whole of workforce and whole of organisation issue that requires partnership.

Recognition of Huarahi Whakatū within the collective agreement

Te Whatu Ora agreed to this claim.

Tikanga Allowance

In recognition of instances where employees who are not directly employed in cultural roles use their knowledge of Te Reo Māori me onā Tikanga to support the DHB’s cultural obligations (e.g. pōwhiri, whakatau). Te Whatu Ora made no offer on this claim.

HCA professional development

The Te Whatu Ora proposal removes the level 2 NZQA qualification and retains the level 3 NZQA qualification. However, timeframes for supporting achievement to the qualification is removed and access to support would be controlled by Te Whatu Ora for existing employees.

Professional supervision for new (within 12 months) Senior Nurses, Senior Midwives and Nurse Practitioners

Te Whatu Ora has agreed to fund access to professional supervision.  

Professional development funding for Midwives

Te Whatu Ora agreed to provide a sum of $1,000 per NZNO member (head count and in addition to existing PD funding), accessible by NZNO members only, to enable NZNO members to meet approved professional development requirements.

Implement a safety plan and payments for all additional shifts and hours worked

This clause would apply during periods of critical staffing shortages and provide financial recognition to members who work additional shifts, while also introducing wellbeing provisions to support workers during that time. Te Whatu Ora made no offer on this claim.

Bargaining fee

Te Whatu Ora has not agreed to include a bargaining fee paid by non-union members who would access the conditions negotiated by NZNO members. They do intend to offer these conditions to non-union employees. This is the first time since we started negotiating a national agreement that the employer has refused to agree to this claim, while also confirming that they intend to pass on the conditions NZNO has negotiated to other employees.

Other NZNO claims where Te Whatu Ora made no offer, or have sought to remove entitlements

• Introduce additional payments for members with postgraduate qualifications.
• Introduce a nurse prescribing allowance.
• Introduce a nurse in charge/nurse coordinator allowance, set at the higher duties rate.
• Increase the maximum employer Kiwisaver contribution to 6%
• Remove the ability for members who are 60 or over to request a change in work patterns, limiting requests to changes related to health concerns.