The Green Party supports nurses' continued push for pay equity and calls on the Government to deliver the back pay they had expected.
"The Green Party stands with our nurses, and calls on the Government to agree to NZNO's pay equity claim, including making sure nurses are fairly back paid for the years they were paid less than what they deserved," says Jan Logie, Green spokesperson for workplace relations and safety.
"Nurses are the backbone of our health system and they deserve genuine pay equity. We support them taking the matter to arbitration so they can get a final decision on back pay with urgency.
"It is important that we get this right. It must have been very difficult for nurses to make the decision to send their pay equity settlement to arbitration. They have been through four years of uncertainty and deserve the matter resolved in a way that meets the expectations and aspirations of all hard-working nurses in Aotearoa.
"It is important for the future of the nursing workforce and the integrity of all pay equity settlements that nurses get an enduring and fair settlement, including back pay. When we don't invest in nurses, and they leave the profession, it makes it harder for the Government to deliver on the health outcomes we all want as a country," Jan Logie says.
