Tomorrow's nursing strike will go ahead after negotiations stalled between the union and district health boards. 

The NZ Nurses Organisation's 30,000 members yesterday voted overwhelmingly to reject a second offer from the DHBs. 

They're negotiating over pay and conditions.  

Advertisement: Devil Burger

The eight-hour strike will affect all public hospitals and DHB facilities. Nurses and their supporters will march and protest across the country, including Invercargill, Dunedin and Queenstown. 

In Invercargill, all non-LPS staff (life preserving services) will stage a walk out of Southland Hospital at 11am, Wednesday, June 9, meeting on the corner of Elles Road and Kew Road. 

They'll march up Elles Road before picketing Tay St intersection and then Wachner Place, at about 1.15pm. 

Advertisement: Easy Bins

Southern District Health Board confirmed last week it is postponing many elective surgeries/procedures and outpatient appointments. It has contacted patients. 

NZNO Lead Advocate David Wait said: "Members are facing serious nursing workforce issues, with pay rates that do not attract people into the profession or retain the people we have, and staffing levels which stretch them to breaking point, putting them and their patients at risk.

"This second DHB offer has not significantly changed and does not address these issues. Our members are genuinely concerned that nursing shortages would increase if it was accepted, and that standards of care for all in Aotearoa New Zealand would suffer as a result." 

Advertisement: Motoworx

The DHB offer included a $4,000 lump sum payment (gross and pro rata), a part payment on back pay that would be owned to nurses through the pay equity claim, which should be settled before the end of the year. 

But Wait says NZNO members know that lump sums do not lift actual rates of pay. 

He said NZNO members were resolute and that further strike action could not be ruled out.

Advertisement: Radhas

"It’s heart-breaking that nurses and other health workers feel so undervalued that they would choose industrial action. Nobody wants this and the best way for future strikes to be avoided would be through a fair and decent offer.

"We need the Government and the DHBs to come up with a profession-enhancing offer right now that truly recognises the contribution nursing staff make and that ensures the future of nursing for the wellbeing and safety of us all."