Cee Payne is NZNO’s industrial services manager. With decades working as a nurse and for NZNO she has lived and breathed untold campaigns. She talks here about why our recent DHB MECA campaign was so awesome.
On Monday, NZNO members working in DHBs started working under a new and improved multi-employer collective agreement (MECA). The deal was ratified by over 75% of voters. That is a solid achievement!
There were highs and lows in our campaign. There were many months of bargaining, activism, an unacceptable offer, mediation and now this.
The new agreement includes:
- A 2% pay rise, backdated to 6 July 2015
- Another 2% pay rise from 4 July 2016
- A term of 2 years and 5 months, just before the next General Election
- A bargaining fee that non-members will have to pay to access the benefits we negotiated
- An increase in PDRP allowances for registered nurses
- A reconfirmation of DHB’s commitment to implement CCDM
- A reminder to DHBs of their obligations about discretionary sick leave
We could not have achieved a 2% + 2% pay rise in this environment without your commitment.
We should be proud that we managed to get a deal, despite the underfunding of the sector over the last seven years.
Our achievement will filter through to other parts of the health sector too. We have set a precedent. Many other health workers will reap the benefit of our hard fought settlement.
Perhaps one of our greatest successes is that we secured this deal with all existing conditions intact.
Your understanding of the new environment created by the Employment Relations Act has been important. Thank you for your commitment to collective bargaining.
Your thousands of signatures on hundreds of letters to DHB chief executives, your photos, collages, your ‘purple passion’, and standing strong together is what pushed us over the line.
Thank you for all your messages of support and solidarity. There were times when bargaining was tough, but you really made the difference for our team. I’ve loved seeing NZNO members claim our colour proudly!
Thank you too, to the NZNO staff who organised and rolled out the campaign. You have my sincere appreciation for your effort and hard work.
We celebrated 10 years of our MECA at the start of this year, and I look forward to 10 more.
I am with you in solidarity; standing together and proud to be NZNO!
An NZNO midwife cuts the cake at Kenepuru’ Hospital’s 10th MECA bash.
Canterbury DHB members standing strong for the bargaining team last year
A wall of support for our negotiation team
The negotiation team receives a whole wall of your supportive messages before heading into the first day of bargaining
Members standing strong for bargaining
And after the first offer
NZNO members paint the country purple on 28 May
And get ready to head into a day of action for mediation week at the end of June
Where we sent a stack of over 500 signed letters to the DHB chief executives. They come back with a better offer…
And members vote again
NZNO's Blog 
August 27, 2015 at 6:51 pm
Many thanks to NZNO & the Negotating Team for getting us the offer they did!! A fantastic offer in the current climate of this National Government. We as a Union can ALL participate by keeping our MECA conditions alive in our workplaces and work with paid staff to ensure we send a clear message to all politicians before the next NZ election.
Go raibh maith agat !