BETTER NURSES’ PAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 276, 22 November 1945, Page 4

BETTER NURSES’ PAY

REPLY OF STABILISATION COMMISSION AWAITED ALL OTHER PARTIES HAVE REAC HED AGREEMENT (P.A.) Wellington, Nov. 21. The Hospital Boards’ Association of New Zealand has sent to hospital boards a report on proceedings in connection with an application to the Economic Stabilisation Commission for an amended salary scale for nurses. The report concludes with an observation that the salary scale, as re-submitted to the Stabilisation Commission, cannot be acted upon until it has been approved by the commission, adding that it had been before the commission for some weeks, and repeated requests that the matter be expedited had been without avail.

The report, after referring to the Arbitration Court’s approval of increases under the Hospital Domestic Workers’ Award, states that the executive of the New Zealand Registered Nurses’ Association, after full consideration, approached\ the executive of the Hospital BoaiW Association with a request that an all-round increase of £26 yearly be made throughout the existing scale, and that the maximum rate for a senior ward sister should be raised to £250 yearly. Representatives of the executive of the New Zealand Registered Nurses’ Association discussed this proposal with the executive of the Hospital Boards’ Association, which decided to recommend to all hospital boards that an increase be applied for of £l3 yearly to those nurses who live in and £26 to those who live out, and for the raising of the maximum for a senior ward sister to £250 plus the above increase. This recommendation, to have effect from April 1, 1945, has been approved by a majority of hospital boards. This procedure was only what is usual between representatives of workers and employers in dealing with award rates under various awards.

“At the time of making the application to the Stabilisation Commission, it was learned that the Department of Health had made certain proposals to the commission in the form of an amended scale, and containing certain reductions in our proposed rates as well as some increases in the maternity section,” the report continued. “Officers of the Stabilisation Commission suggested that representatives of the Department of Health, the Nurses’ Association and the Hospital Boards’ Association should get together, with a view to reconciling the matters at variance. The president then arranged an interview with the Minister of Health. Those present included the president and secretary of the Nurses’ Association, the director of the Division of Nursing, and the secretary of the department. After discussion it was arranged that this committee should sit at once, and make such alterations as would embody the best of the department’s suggestions and at the same time bring our proposals, and those of the department more closelv into alignment. The scale as now submitted, is. in several respects, an improvement on our previous scale in the matter of classification and approximates the increase as recommended in the living-in rate.”