Info message
Successful operation message
Warning message
Error message

Headline: Nurses' union to announce result of latest pay offer from DHBs

In total 825 comments were made and 19501 votes were cast. So what is the crowd saying?

Comment TotalPositiveNegativeName
Firstly as a nurse. I don't care if you think it is a cash grab. For me it actually is a lot to do with pay, and I do think we deserve more pay. The top rate offered is actually 77k not the mythical 93k the DHB talk of. It is still under the top rate of a secondary teacher, also under the lowest paid state in Australia, a country to which we are hemorrhaging nurses. 

Second I for one am tired of going to work and being worried constantly that I will miss something serious, as there way to many times where I can't possibly look after all my patients, and I have to care ration. I have to judge who is the sickest or the least likely to die. I have to make judgments daily about who needs my care most urgently. 

It annoys me that the media and even ourselves still seem to portray us moping brows and lamenting how much we care and like to help people. When in fact our role is incredible complex and technical, and is expanding rapidly and not being recognised for this. 

So you know what,  I don't care that people think we should've taken this great deal as the DHBs portrayed it as. I don't care who is in government and I don't care thay people think it is a cash grab. 

I do care about my patients and theirs and my safety and I do care about  being paid what I am worth. 

10913324Jeanie636
Id imagine taking industrial action is not something which health professionals engage in lightly. Hopefully they get improved pay/conditions, its important for them to be well paid for such important work and preferably not overloaded while they are working. Theyve got a very important job to do!9412127Cemetery Jones
Keep it going nurses, youre awesome!7710730kidmomma
I agree good nurses/healthcare professionals are worth a great pay.  This isnt a good example though, a tradesman earning $50 as a contractor with holidays, sick leave, business overheads(tools, insurance, accounts, etc) isnt a good comparison.  I think you would find his pay is less.  Not saying you arent worth it but the major problem we have in NZ is our living costs are too high.  Your wages along with his could arguably be fair if we didnt all have stupid food costs and high mortgages to pay.  Both major governments need to take responsibility for fixing this.69767Auck980
Well Labour government gave election bribe to UNI students to get into the power and left peanuts for nurses 567923apps
the first casualty of war is the truthDont believe everything you read/hearThe deal the nurses have been offered isnt all its cracked up to be when you start reading into it 546612gixxer
Why do the media keep twisting it into being about the pay rise? While that is part of the issue, last time I checked the main issue was staffing related. U understaffed and working dangerous shifts53618Cry me a river
By what stretch of the imagination do the commentators on here have the right to call these people greedy and undeserving? They work long, grueling hours dealing with abusive and unthankful people with little rest constantly on their feet and the nerve of some of you to claim superiority. Have any of you worked a day in your life? Get your head of the sand and give these Kiwis who work hard for the benefit of YOU ALL what they deserve. 486618Dayno
Good on the nurses. They deserve every cent. I would hate to put up with all the shift work, not to mention the bullying and dealing with the horrible public486820Bruce2
charge rate and pay rate arent the same.46460username01
Tradies pay their own Taxes and GST. And because of the new H&S laws, most have to keep up todate with training to be conforming to laws425513Logger
Im a nurse although not in the DHB so Im not getting a pay rise. I look after our elderly in aged care facilities. .. and yes. I think I will go and do something else instead. .. 41410Nikkirox
Dear NZ,

If you want a first world healthcare system then you have to pay for one.
If you cant afford it then you all need to sit down with your MPs and work out how to get more money, pay more tax, or just cut spending in other areas...

The population is aging, medical inflation is assessed globally at about 10%p.a, and you have the highest population growth in the OECD so its only gonna get worse.

Kind Regards,

The Real World

PS: TIme to grow up and face whats coming!!!
395415wellytom
Its about time nurses stood up for better pay and conditions. We are losing too many of our nurses to better paying jobs in Australia and other countries.We give vast sums of funding to the Pacific Island nations and NZ First to throw around because their needs are percieved more important versus maintaining our health care institutions. We need our people who are training to be qualified nursing professionals to stay here in NZ and paying them a fair wage is critical to achieving this. Sad to see strike action being used to achieve a change in the governments mind set on this issue but what else can they do when they are viewed as not being as important as those other high priority needs that have already been allocated vast sums on money?39478dairyman
DHBs primary concern was to ensure safe services during any industrial action. You cant provide safe services when there isnt industrial action. Thats why we reject your offer. Staff the units, protect us from assaults. Give us the staff to provide the care demand. Dont just say there is no staff - youll have to manage.38457johnboy.dunedin
Thats a real fail in understanding. Dont forget 15% + 28% + 5% come off that figure and goes to the taxman. They also have business overheads that employed people do not which reduces that income figure a lot further.
Tradies most certainly do have to keep up their professional development and dont get guaranteed hours. 
Like any business they have risk and can work a whole month and make a loss, employed persons do not. 
38402payyourownway
Absolutely right. A decade of substandard wages without increase, while working more hours and STILL in the minds of some people the nurses are somehow the ones who are at fault....it beggars belief. 374710Bin Chicken
My wife comes home on a daily basis, letting me know if shes been able to take a lunch break or manage to grab a cup of coffee during her work day. Mainly because the DHB havent enough staff in place to cover the number of patients they have to service. Nurse are in it for the love of the job , not necesarily the wage and feel agrieved at being pushed so hard , so Mal2 , until YOU have walked the walk . etc.......375619Ice Giant
wait until youre sick mate and no one there to administer to your needs. nurses flogg themselves in the public sector. we cant close the door on incoming patients. the dhbs expect you to do more with less, not enough staff. thats when mistakes happen, care compromised. how about going through a shift on a shared bar of chocolate as thats all the time youve got to eat. believe me its 1. and winter is here and these customers pouring in the door. 37414fiddle sticks

Showing last answers. need more?