Nurses’ wages talks adjourn

Press, 9 August 1985, Page 25

Nurses’ wages talks adjourn

PA Wellington Negotiations between nurses and their employers for wage increases of between 22 and 42 per cent were adjourned after the parties met for nearly eight hours. The Nurses’ Association, negotiating on behalf of 20,000 nurses working in public hospitals, agreed to a three to four-week adjournment while the Health Services Personnel Commission studied the claims.

The association’s industrial officer, Mr Derek Best, said the wage package concentrated on economic ar-

guments, prepared with the help of independent economic analysts, showing how far nurses had fallen behind in pay rates. Though the size of the pay claims varied, about 80 per cent of the nursing workforce was seeking pay rises of between 22 and 30 per cent.

Mr Best said the nursing profession was hard hit by recruitment and retention problems mainly because of the decline in real wages over the last 10 years. The Nurses’ Association seeks pay rate catch-ups, improved margins, and better award relativities.