Privately Speaking
NEWSLETTER FOR NZNO MEMBERS WORKING IN THE PRIVATE HEALTH SECTOR SUMMER 2016/2017
Bowen Hospital negotiating team, from left to right: Robyn Welsh, Teresa Grimshaw and Danielle Davies (organiser)
Bargaining, holiday pay, and smoking in theatres... In this edition of Privately Speaking, we look at what terms and conditions have been achieved in the sector by NZNO bargaining teams, progress for Hospice members through their MECA working party, and the health and safety impacts of surgical smoke. But first, a quick update on payroll issues. NZNO has identified that there is a strong likelihood that the health sector has systemic problems with some payroll providers not paying their staff their full holiday and other leave entitlements. The main issue is with the payment for annual leave, but it also might affect public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave and bereavement leave. It is possible that these issues date back to 2003, when the Holidays Act became law. It is also possible that many NZNO members will have been underpaid. In your sector we have asked the New Zealand Private Surgical Hospitals Association, the Hospice MECA parties and the Rural Community Trust Hospitals for payroll information. We have sent them questionnaires which assess potential payroll issues, developed by the Council of Trade Unions and the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment Labour inspectorate. Questionnaires are being returned by employers slowly but steadily and we are following up with any non-responders. We may also be requesting copies of payroll audits from some employers. We will update you further next edition on the results.
Mike Yeats, NZNO Industrial Adviser
Bargaining round up Updates on collective bargaining acheivements for NZNO members from around the private sector.
Mercy Ascot ͙͙ 2 year term: 18 April 2016 – 22 April 2018 ͙͙ 2% increase year one, 2% increase year two ͙͙ Charge Nurses removed from CEA ͙͙ Pass on provisions to non-union members agreed to occur no earlier than 2 months from ratification of CEA
Totara Hospice ͙͙ 2 year term: 1 July 2016 – 31 June 2018 ͙͙ 1.5% increase from 1 July 2016 and 1% increase from 1 July 2017 ͙͙ New Community Allowance of $2 per day ͙͙ Additional increase of $23.16 per shift to the Night Shift Allowance applicable to shifts worked Sunday through Thursday ͙͙ Increase to allowances of 5% ͙͙ Long service leave of 10 days after 25 years of service, increasing in 5 yearly increments
Manuka St Nelson ͙͙ 2 year term: expiry 30 Sept 2018 ͙͙ 2.25% increase from 1 October 2016, and 2.25% from 1 October 2017 ͙͙ Night Rate clause extended from 6am to 7am
Bowen Hospital ͙͙ 15 month term: 1 April 2016 – 30 June 2017 ͙͙ 2% increase from 1 April 2016
Wakefield Hospital ͙͙ 2 year term: 1 July 2016-30 June 2018 ͙͙ 2% increase from 1 July 2016, 2% increase from 1 October 2017 ͙͙ 90c an hour flexibility allowance for Central Sterile Supplies Department staff and theater assistants Wakefield Hospital negotiation team delegates from left: Lisa Blackmore, Ruth Whittle and Marina Mills
Boulcott Hospital negotiation team, from left: Khosi Dube, Robyn Sherwood, Val Crook, Danielle Davies (organiser) and Tim Hill
Boulcott Hospital ͙͙
21 month term: 1 October 2016 - 30 June 2018
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1% increase from 1 October 2016, 2% increase from 1 July 2017 to all rates of pay and allowances
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Medical insurance contribution of 24c an hour added to base rates. Shoe and stocking allowance of 10c an hour and up to 5 days a year shift leave
͙͙ Increased long service leave to 2 weeks after 10 years then one additional week every subsequent 5 years of service
Royston Hospital ͙͙ 1 year term: 3 July 2016 – 2 July 2017 ͙͙ 1.5% increase from 3 July 2016, 1.5% increase from 3 January 2017 ͙͙ Improved on call rate to $4.00 per hour ͙͙ When employees days are not fixed, the employee shall be entitled to public holiday provisions if they worked on the day of the week that the public holiday falls more than 40% of the time over the last 3 months (reduced from 50%) ͙͙ A days’ shift leave per annum for those employees working rostered and rotating shifts
Gore Health ͙͙ 3 year term: 1 July 2016 – 30 June 2019 ͙͙ 3.5% increase from 1 July 2016, 2% increase from 1 July 2017, 2% increase from 1 July 2018 ͙͙ Increase of the weekday on call rate to $4.00 per hour ͙͙ A higher duties allowance of $11.25 per shift to be paid to senior ED RN who is rostered form 1700 until the night shift.
Rotorua Southern Cross ͙͙ 30 month term: 1 January 2016 – 30 June 2018 ͙͙ 2% increase backdated to January 2016, 1% increase July 2016, 2% increase 1 July 2017 ͙͙ New Employee clauses ͙͙ New Vulnerable Children clause ͙͙ Agreement to establish Healthy Workplace working group
From left to right, Vanessa Mott (delegate), Michael Ludbrook (GM), Stephanie Thomson (Nurse Manager), Chris Mott (Theatre Nurses Manager), Nicky Bateman (delegate), Selina Robinson (organiser), Nicky Beuker (HR Manager)
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Hospice MECA working party NZNO agreed to form a working group with Hospice employers so that all Hospices will have consistent, clear professional development pathways for nursing staff covered by the NZNO Hospice MECA. The group is made up of employer representatives: Clare Randall (Arohanui Hospice); Wayne Naylor (Hospice Waikato); Janice Byford-Jones (Cranford Hospice); and Debbie Penlington (Waipuna Hospice) and NZNO representatives: Mike Yeats (NZNO Industrial Advisor); Jane MacGeorge (NZNO Professional Services Manager); Jo Coffey (NZNO Organiser); and Nicki Twigge (NZNO National Hospice delegate). The group is reviewing: ͙͙ The professional development and post graduate provisions in the Hospice/ NZNO Nurses MECA, and ͙͙ The Senior Nurse and Community roles and titles, taking into consideration differing Hospice models, the DHB MECA and the Resource and Capability Framework for Adult Palliative Care. The first face to face meeting was held in April, with several video conferences since then. Work will be completed early next year, with a face to face meeting to finalise the joint Hospice/NZNO recommendations for the August 2017 MECA negotiations.
Surgical smoke plume and your safety The Perioperative Nurses College of NZNO (PNC) has championed a health and safety issue for operating theatre staff. Surgical smoke plume affects all members of the operating theatre team and the patient. Surgical smoke plume contains particles like viral DNA and blood fragments. Signs of exposure include headache, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting, and it can cause inflammatory responses, pneumonia and even cancer (Mathews 2016 Dissector). The March edition of Dissector on this issue was followed by a Sunday Star Times article in May, in which NZNO joined other health professionals to call for urgent action from Worksafe NZ. NZNO and PNC have asked Worksafe to create a national guideline to eliminate surgical smoke plume in all operating theatres. NZNO is encouraging all theatre staff to understand this issue and push for action with your health and safety representative and employers. Many NZNO members have reported a change in practice and being able to install surgical smoke plume evacuators. Mercy Dunedin members sucessfully made their theatres smokefree, and won a national safety award for getting rid of this hazard. You can find more information on the PNC website, in the March Dissector article mentioned above and in Kaitiaki Nursing NZ, or at www.stuff.co.nz/national/ health/80373337/Call-to-tackle-toxic-surgery-smoke-risk-for-doctors-nursespatients
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