NURSES UNDERPAID

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 105, 28 January 1938, Page 4

NURSES UNDERPAID

Suggestion From Blenheim For Salary Rise At a meeting of the Marlborough Hospital Board, one of the members. Mrs. F. Redwood, brought forward the contention that the nursing profession was greatly underpaid. She gave notice of her intention to move at the next meeting that the board should grant increases in salary to all members of its nursing staff. Mrs. Redwood’s remarks were made following the adoption of a report which authorised a revision in the wages of members of the domestic staff, wi consider that nurses are very much underpaid.“ she said, “and to test the position I intend to move that the salaries of all nurses on our staff be increased. “I have no doubt that I will get the same answer, that our nurses’ conditions compare favourably, and more than favourably in some cases, with those in other parts of New Zealand, but my argument is that no nurse in this country is paid adequately for her services. “I know a good many people who will gladly pay £2 a week for a woman to do house duties, and I do not say that they are not worth it, but they certainly do not do the work, nor have they anything like the responsibility, of nurses.” Mrs. Redwood said it was time someone took a definite stand on the general question of nurses’ salaries. The board will discuss the question at its next meeting.