Prosecution possible

Press, 31 May 1977, Page 16

Prosecution possible

PA Wellington . Private-hospital burses re-1 r i fusing to join the Nurses Union could face prose-'[ cution, the union’s industrial; officer, Mrs Margaret Thurs-; ton, says. She said that since the’ union had negotiated its', award two years ago about; 65 per cent of private-hospi-1 tai nurses had become mem-' bers. Efforts to recruit all those, covered by the award were continuing and letters had been written to nurses in I several hospitals where staff |[ had not yet joined. Judging by some of the replies, there appeared to be • some resistance. However,;[ | when union officials visited [ the hospitals and when i “they see we’re human”.! there was not usually much • resistance, said Mrs Thurs-'; I ton.

[ It has been reported that [nurses at two Wellington hospitals have refused to join. However Mrs Thurston said staff at those hospitals [had not yet been visited. Although under an unqualified preference clause in its .award the union could proslecute those unwilling to [join, it had not yet decided on any action. The union had about 4000 members, including privatehopsital nurses, Plunket nurses, occupational-health nurses, nurses working for doctors in private practice and those employed by the Nurse Maude District Nursing Service in Christchurch. The union plans to begin negotiations soon for a new award. Mrs Thurston said the aim would be to seek parity with nurses employed in public hospitals, who, since the last Nurses’ Union Award was negotiated two years ago, had received pay increases of about 7.6 per cent. Negotiations would also begin next month on an award for nurses working in doctors’ surgeries.