Te Whatu Ora redundancy proposal in breach of collective agreements

Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora’s call for employees to end their employment via voluntary redundancy is in breach of the established consultation processes, New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says.

Chief executive Paul Goulter says Te Whatu Ora did not follow the correct consultation processes before arriving at the conclusion that there should be redundancies.

Goulter said this proposal was simply presented it as an outcome and NZNO did not agree with that or their economic rationale as to why there should be reduction of staff.

"Starting from the point in any change management process that proposes redundancies, whether voluntary or required is not in keeping with the spirit and or good faith principles of consultation that being a proposal not finally decided on and is not perfunctory or a mere formality.

"This approach does not allow for all the options to be considered when a genuine staff surplus is identified."

"We also hold the view that taking this approach is disrespectful of the values that underpin the relationship process as set out in Te Mauri o Rongo."

"Suggesting there are opportunities for redundancies when the health workforce is under resourced will have the effect of destabilising workers who will be concerned about the security of their work and will create more stress to people who already stretched.

"We’re aware that any reduction of staff will impact on the people who remain. Removal of supporting roles means that other staff must pick the work they’re doing and that’s unacceptable."