Nurses striking at Victoria Park in Auckland in October 2022. Photo: RNZ / Lucy Xia
Nurses Organisation (NZNO) members who are employed by Te Whatu Ora will strike next month, fed up with long negotiations.
They have voted overwhelmingly in support of a 24-hour strike, fighting for better working conditions.
The union said staff were always extremely reluctant to strike because of the impact it had, but there came a point where they had to for the well-being of their patients.
Its chief executive Paul Goulter said members were frustrated.
"What sits behind it is frustration at the length of time, that's the first thing, the second thing is that they feel that the offers that have been put in front of them have been inadequate and thirdly they just basically feel disrespected by what's been put on the table."
The strike ballot was organised before the Nurses Organisation received the latest offer from Te Whatu Ora on Tuesday, Goulter said.
The strike will start at 7am on 9 August, unless members vote to ratify the most recent offer.
In a statement, Te Whatu Ora national director of hospital and specialist services Fionnagh Dougan said it had made an offer to settle the collective agreement that if agreed to would provide significant additional increases to nurse's salaries.
It included a package that also responded to safe staffing, support for coordinating shifts and health and safety, she said.
The offer included a pay increase of up to 6.5 percent for senior nurses and of up to 4.5 percent for registered and enrolled nurses, as well as health care and mental health care assistants, she said.
"Te Whatu Ora is disappointed that NZNO has refused to defer giving notice of any strike action until after the ratification outcome for the Collective Agreement settlement is known," Dougan said.
All nurses employed by Te Whatu Ora will be invited to vote on the proposed agreement on 24 July.
