NZNO/HNZ Collective Agreement bargaining updates
NZNO bargaining team 25 September 2024
Update #15 - March 13 2025
Today was pretty much a repeat of yesterday. In particular word smithing clauses in respect of HCAs, shift coordinator allowance and CCDM/ratios. We are yet to receive a formal offer from HNZ.
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley
Update #14 - March 12 2025
Most of what was discussed today was done "in confidence" meaning there is very little to report back on. We do sense that things have moved forward and that HNZ may possibly make a formal offer in the immediate future.
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley
Update #13 - February 20, 2025
Discussion continued in the same vein as yesterday with HNZ finally making a response as to what an entire package might look like. However there is nothing to report yet. There will be a small group getting together, prior to the next bargaining dates, to work on the HCA professional development issues. District committee meetings commence next week to discuss what form future industrial action might take. Further negotiation dates have been set for 12 and 13 March.
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley
Update #12 - February 19, 2025
Whilst there is nothing concrete to report, there was some positive discussion/progress around Health and Safety training, Nurse in Charge clause and the new Enrolled Nurse step. Te Whatu Ora are still to provide us with the approval process for FTE calculations and we have concerns that these decisions will be financially driven rather than care need driven. Finally they again reiterated that the amount they have set aside to fund bargaining is 1% of total employee cost.
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley
Update #11 - January 23, 2025
Going through the claims, HNZ indicated that from their point of view there was some "positive" movement towards some of our claims (but details still need to be approved) eg a new EN step to reflect their new scope of practice, smoothing of DAO's allowance nationwide - their words (moving all DAO's onto the higher DAO allowance), NP's professional development allowance. But at this stage there is no definitive proposal on the table.
HNZ presented a graph that they felt showed that from 1.4.23 members wages had either kept pace with or exceeded the corresponding Higher Cost of Living Index. We challenged these figures with our calculations that showed wages had remained behind the HCLI.
In respect of FTE calcs HNZ anticipates that these will recommence nationwide at the end of Feb (using data already to hand). However they are still to provide us with the approval process for the FTE calcs and we have concerns that these decisions will be financially driven rather than driven by care requirements.
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley
Update #10 - January 22, 2025
As you may recall, post strike notification NZNO and HNZ had two days of mediation in an attempt to have the strikes called off on the proviso of HNZ meeting our three conditions:
- Lift the pause on CCDM calculations
- Increase their bargaining financial parameters
- Agree to our claim around ratios.
Today we proposed an approach around the ratio research process that will support our ratios claim and hope to progress this over the next week. HNZ has requested that the mediator (who comes as a neutral observer) continues to work with both parties to try and progress these negotiations. NZNO has agreed to this HNZ has indicated that they will respond to some of our financial claims tomorrow.
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley
Update #9 - November 20, 2024
It was a slow start to the day with Te Whatu Ora spending half of the day caucusing by themselves. Sometimes that happens in bargaining and it is a sign of serious discussions amongst their team. In the afternoon we discussed a number of our claims. Importantly when it came to wages they did differentiate between our pay equity increases and general wage increases. There was no movement on their bargaining parameters, still 1% of total employee cost.
There was a brief discussion about attending mediation, which we obviously support in order to avoid strike action. We are having a longer discussion about mediation tomorrow and will send an update. The reality is that Te Whatu Ora need to improve their bargaining parameters, reverse their decision to pause CCDM FTE calculations and commit to the phased implementation of safe staffing ratios to avoid strike action.
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley
Update #8 - November 19, 2024
The day started with a massive interruption from the huge crowds associated with the hīkoi. As a consequence we worked a little later than usual.
We spent most of the day discussing technical and formatting issues within the contract, with a little bit of time on CCDM towards the end of the day. The positive is that despite the strike notice both teams are continuing to negotiate.
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley
Update #7 - October 23, 2024
The morning started with Health NZ reviewing their current position on our claims, with minor movement on some claims. Whilst HNZ went away to gather more information that we had requested, we used this downtime to attend the combined unions rally at Parliament - a good turnout of local NZNO members gave NZNO a large presence with CEO Paul Goulter speaking to the crowd.
At Margie Apa's request, in the afternoon session both teams attended a Zoom with HNZ CEO Margie Apa and HNZ CFO Richard Aldos who jointly explained Health NZ financial position and how it related to the nursing/HCA workforce. This raised even more questions from our point of view. Tomorrow we will be concentrating on discussion about our financial and staffing claims.
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley
Update #6 - October 11, 2024
Today was focused on our safe staffing claims (ratios, new grad employment, timely appointment to vacancies etc). The HNZ team were reminded that our safe staffing claims were first presented back in September although HNZ had not responded to them until today. No commitments were made but they indicated an interest around having ratios alongside CCDM.
At this time they do not agree to our claim around full employment of new grads. We've agreed to met HNZ between bargaining sessions to discuss the staffing and CCDM program.
They remain without any financial parameters.
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley
Update #5 - October 10, 2024
Today Health NZ gave responses to all our claims except safe staffing claims, which they will address tomorrow when their expert will attend bargaining.
As it stands, at the moment they wish to address some of our claims positively. However this is our fourth day of bargaining and their team still doesn't have their financial parameters, ie, they don't know what budget they will have to address our financial claims. We told them that bargaining without financial parameters' is surface bargaining. This needs to STOP.
We meet again tomorrow to continue with the bargaining process.
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley
Update #4 - September 26, 2024
The day started with more clarification and discussion over our claims, with their team coming back after lunch with tentative responses on some of our non financial claims. As is usual in the bargaining process, claims involving a monetary aspect were touched on but they indicated that fuller debate will most likely occur once the non monetary claims have been agreed to.
Until there is an offer to be presented to members generally speaking we can't discuss specifics because as we work through each issue the positions held by either team can change.
We meet again for bargaining in Wellington on the 9/10 October and then again on the 23/24 October before our Collective Agreement expires.
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley
Update #3 - September 25, 2024
The day started with our team being greeted by a rally of Christchurch members for the first formal day of negotiations. The Te Whatu Ora team were impressed by our photo wall, with one comment being 'it feels like thousands of eyes on us'. This wall of photos will be with us each and every day of negotiation. Their team asked questions about some of our claims and also sought clarification on others. We will continue on with this question and answer vein tomorrow.
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley
Update #2 - September 5, 2024
The team presented our claims to Te Whatu Ora. The claims presented to Te Whatu Ora can be viewed here: https://maranga-mai.nzno.org.nz/2024_claims.
Te Whatu Ora listened to the claims and had thoughtful questions. However, Te Whatu Ora do not yet have their parameters for bargaining, although we do know that they are expected to give effect to the Government Workforce Policy statement, which is likely to be an impediment to reaching a settlement acceptable to members.
You can see the Government Workforce Policy Statement here: https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/assets/DirectoryFile/Government-Workforce-Policy-Statement-2024.pdf
The HNZ team indicated that currently they only have 'technical' claims (updating dates, correcting spelling mistakes etc) as they are awaiting their bargaining parameters from HNZ.
Both teams meet again on the 25th & 26th September.
Please note that as per the requirements for the negotiation delegates to be covered by the Collective Agreement I wasn't involved in the face-to-face negotiation meetings today. Until such time as I gain employment I remain involved behind the scenes and will continue posting these updates
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley
Update #1 - July 12, 2024
Your Bargaining Team met for 2 days in June and again on 11th and 12th July to go through the results of the previous claims survey and meetings. These are to be presented for discussion, in two weeks time, to members via online meetings followed by an online endorsement process. To progress the actual negotiations we have a tentative agreement to bargaining dates well ahead of the expiry of the current Collective Agreement (CA).
Bargaining team member Grant Cloughley