‘We’re overworked, we’re tired’: Nurses strike for better pay, safer staffing

Tens of thousands of healthcare workers went on strike this week, protesting unsafe staffing levels and low pay rates.

Sāmoan clinical nurse specialist for Pacific Health at Auckland Hospital, Lena Emani-Manoa, was at the strike and says the current working conditions cannot continue.

“We're overworked, we're tired, and we need some sort of compensation or remuneration to keep the nurses here," she said.

“It's really just the unsafe staffing that we've been seeing around the hospital."

Emani-Manoa has been working in the healthcare sector for 10 years and has noticed worsening health outcomes.

“Our patients are getting more complex in their diagnosis and things are getting more complicated.”

Another point of concern is Te Whatu Ora's plan to pause the Care Capacity Demand Management (CCDM) programme, which sets limits on safe staffing levels, along with plans to cut up to 1500 roles as part of cost-saving efforts.

Sāmoan clinical nurse specialist for Pacific Health at Auckland Hospital Lena Emani-Manoa. Photo/Lena Emani-Manoa.

Emani-Manoa says burnout is prompting some to look overseas for work, putting more pressure on those who remain.

“A lot of our nurses are flying away and going abroad to seek work, that's leaving a lot of vacancies here in New Zealand.”

“So workload is quite heavy for us and that's why we're so burnt out and we're tired and it doesn't help when we're always short-staffed on the floor and the reason being is there are so many vacancies that we are seeing.”

Negotiations between the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) and Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora stalled after the union rejected a proposed pay rise of up to one per cent over two years, citing it as “inadequate amidst inflation and staffing crises”.

Emani-Manoa says there is a lot of dissatisfaction in the healthcare sector.

“I feel unappreciated, especially with the COVID and how nurses were at the frontline.

Over 36,000 healthcare workers are calling for fair pay and safer staffing conditions. Photo/RNZ

“I thought we proved ourselves and proved our worth, and just having all these disputes amongst pay, is that they don't acknowledge the work here.”

Emani-Manoa is urging the health agency and the Government to address this.

“Match the financial crisis that we're in, and also just better work conditions for our nurses. That's what we want to see.”

The NZNO has announced further strike actions, with rolling regional protests to be scheduled.

Te Whatu Ora has expressed its commitment to finding a resolution while acknowledging the financial constraints it faces.

Watch Lena Emani-Manoa's full interview below.