Meetings are now under way in District Health Boards around the country for NZNO members to vote on the employers’ offer. This week, I was invited to attend six of these Ratification Meetings.
As a member of the NZNO Negotiating Team, it is enormously encouraging to see the huge number of members turning out.
Hutt Valley was the first DHB to finish its scheduled Ratification Meetings, with all of them being held between 0900 and 1630 on Tuesday.
At times, it was standing room only, as the room filled to overflowing.
Final numbers at HVDHB showed that nearly twice as many members attended this week’s meetings, compared with the MECA Endorsement Meetings held last October.
Reports from around the country tell a similar story, with big turnouts everywhere.
The Negotiating Team does believe that this offer provides some important improvements. But it has not sufficiently addressed some of your key issues as endorsed at last October’s meetings. So we are not making a recommendation to accept it.
Last October, an article I wrote for the NZNO Blog said that “Together we can win; for ourselves and our patients“. But it went on to explain:
This remains true today.
It is now for all members to decide on whether to accept or reject the offer. Details of the meetings where you can have your say are available by clicking here. The more members who actively participate, the stronger the message.
It is vital that all NZNO members attend a meeting and cast your vote and give the Negotiating Team the clear direction we need.
The signs so far this week are that you’re doing exactly that.
Your Choice. Your Voice | Grant Brookes for NZNO President 