Clutha Health First achieves DHB parity.

NZNO RECENTLY re-negotiated the collective agreement (CA) covering Clutha Health First (formerly Balclutha Hospital), with significant gains for members. Base rates for registered nurses (RNs) rose by an average 3.3 percent across the grades; for district nurses the average increase was 4.6 percent and for enrolled nurses (ENs) the average increase was 3.9 percent.

Penal rates improved from 20 to 30 percent for weekends, from ten to 20 percent for night shifts and from ten to 13 percent for afternoon shifts. Other gains were the creation of new specialist nursing positions for both RNs and ENs, and an increase in the overtime rate from time-and-a-half to double time after three hours.

The agreement also contains a clause that Clutha Health First re-enter negotiations of its CA when the national public sector multi-employer collective agreement (MECA) is settled, even if this takes place within the one-year term of the Clutha agreement, which began on July 5.

Terms and conditions at this private sector site are now close to parity with the South Island District Health Board MECA. The imminent prospect of a national, public sector MECA undoubtedly assisted the result, with the employer recognising that a significant pay increase was inevitable and that these negotiations needed to achieve a significant advance in that direction.