“NO PUT-UP JOB”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22613, 16 April 1948, Page 7

“NO PUT-UP JOB”

“NOTHING SINISTER” TRAINING MALE NURSES ASSOCIATION PROPOSED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 15. The organisation of training for male nurses was no put-up job and there was nothing sinister behind it, said the director of the division of nursing of the Department of Health, Miss M. I- Lambie, yesterday, in answer to a suggestion that the department and the Hospital

Board’s Association were interested in the forming of a registered male nurses’ association to get the men away from the Hotel Workers' Union.

Miss Lambie made this statement at a conference called in Wellington to consider the formation of a registered male nurses’ association. After the secretary of the New Zealand Registered Nurses’ Association, Miss E. S. Brown, had explained why the nurses had not formed an industrial union, a representative of the Hotel Workers’ Union, Mr. J. H. Geddes, said his organisation felt the move to form a male association was not spontaneous. The male nurses might wish to know why the Registered Nurses' Association had not chosen to become an industrial union, said Miss Brown. Unions Not Belittlco She was not belittling industrial unions, which had done tremendous work, but the nurses’ association felt that it should do more. It was responsible not only for the working conditions, but also for maintaining a high standard of nursing training and the provision of a high standard of service to the sick. "We feel that the weapons used by the unions, such as go-slow and the strike, are unsuited to our profession and so we discourage our members from joining a union,” said Miss Brown. She added that the registered nurses conference had always voted to remain as at present and student nurses had also rejected unionism. “Our organisation is very concerned at the interest of the Department of Health and the Hospital Boards’ Association in the registered male nurses,” said Mr. Geddes, on behalf of the Hotel Workers’ Union. ‘‘They could have shown that interest years ago." Miss Brown had mentioned go-slow and strikes, said Mr. Geddes. The workers in hospitals had been members of the union for some considerable time and never had there been industrial strife in the hospitals. Strike —“The Last Thing” In regard to any fear that hospital workers might go on strike in sympathy with others, that was the last thing the union would ask of anything In any hospital. “Workers in hospitals who have been in the union have improved their conditions out of all comparison, with the nurses, whom our organisation considers are grossly underpaid," said Mr. Geddes. In the move towards the registration of male nurses and of the organisation of those registered male nurses there had been no discussion with the Hotel Workers’ Federation. “We feel that this move is by no means spontaneous and that it is not supported by a majority of the male nurses,” said Mr. Geddes. He asked if the male nurses, numerically small, could improve the conditions they had today? The union was prepared to assist and if help was wanted the union would be there. In reply to Mr.Geddes, Miss Lambie said the Health Department had no part in the organising of the conference. The inauguration of training for male nurses was no put-up job and there was nothing sinister behind it. It was started because Mr.. A. H- Nordmeyer, when he was Minister of Health thought that a career should be opened for male nurses. "I am not here to encourage men to leave the union and form an association,” said Miss Lambie. "I am here purely to advise and help.”