Nurses’ threat irks Minister

Press, 7 December 1985, Page 8

Nurses’ threat irks Minister

Nurses cannot expect to re-enter negotiations over their wage claims while their threat of industrial action stands, according to the Minister of Health, Dr Bassett.

Dr Bassett told Radio New Zealand yesterday that there could well be a solution to the impasse over the nurses’ award talks.

“But-what happened was that the threat of industrial action was resorted to before they even had any very substantial discussions with the Health Services Committee,” he said.

“That is a matter of great regret and I think the nurses probably themselves regret it.” Behind - the - scenes negotiations often took place in industrial matters like this, but “at the end of the day, nobody can negotiate like that,” said Dr Bassett.

If there is no return to the table, nurses throughout New Zealand will take industrial action from December 17. Dr Bassett said that there had been an element within the Nurses’ Asscociation

wanting industrial action all year. Although nurses had never taken industrial action in New Zealand before, Dr Bassett said that this year many people who would not normally take action had done so.

Striking by nurses was a common phenonenon in other parts of the world. There had been strikes in virtually every state in Australia this year, and some in the United States, he said.

“Most regrettably, New Zealand is catching up with the rest of the world.”