We provide a full range of workplace representation, employment law and bargaining services, including reviewing and vetting employment agreements and other contracts, negotiating agreements and representing members with all types of workplace issues.
This includes representation for workplace, disciplinary processes and employment problems including disciplinary interviews, negotiated settlements, restructures and redundancies, plus personal grievance matters. Highly skilled at solving problems informally, without being unduly adversarial, and where possible at the operational level.
We handle both individual and collective employment agreements. Some of our workplace representation is undertaken through our principal industrial arm Te Uniana o NSNZ. Te Uniana o NSNZ is a registered union. Te Uniana o NSNZ is part of the Society and an application for membership of the Society serves as an application for membership of Te Uniana o NSNZ. No extra fees (direct or indirect) apply.
General information on what usually happens if there is a multi-employer collective employment agreement (MECA) negotiated by another union (as in Te Whatu Ora / DHBs) is here, plus examples of Te Whatu Ora offer letters (e.g., Lakes, Waikato, Taranaki and Auckland) when there is a new MECA, as well as sample DHB IEA based on the MECA.
Our members Te Whatu Ora (formerly DHBs) are employed on individual employment agreements (IEAs), rather than the CEA (formerly MECA). These IEAs have always been derived from the CEA offering the same or substantially the same terms and conditions. Changes in a CEA are not automatically passed on to nurses on IEAs, however each time there is a new CEA nurses employed by the DHBs always had IEA updated terms to match or substantially match the MECA.
What has happened with the last DHB MECA and IEA updates? Here is an example of of standard MECA-derived IEA, offer exactly the same conditions as the latest MECA and with the same effective date (backdating). A few DHBs had a slightly different approach; a standard IEA with the same terms and conditions as the MECA, but the effective is a month month later.
At some point we may do a separate CEA for members employed by Te Whatu Ora (formerly DHBs).
New employees are automatically on the MECA or other CEA for their first 30 days, regardless of what union they belong to or whether they belong to any union. If they do not opt to join the union that negotiated the MECA (or other CEA) within the 30 day-period they are automatically placed on an IEA that must have conditions and terms that are no less favourable than the MECA or other collective.
Pay equity (PE) claims are covered by special legislation.
· Pay equity has now been settled and all Te Whatu Ora are eligible for the pay increases and the related lump sums.
· All current Te Whatu Ora nursing staff and former employees who resigned after March 2022 have received the interim determination payments which included a lump sum of $10,000 pro rated, plus a pay increase backdated to March 2022. The eligibility for the period for the lump sums was employment between January 2020 and March 2022.
· Current employees are in the process of receiving the final determination which is a further lump sum of $15,000 pro rated, plus an additional pay increase with backdating. The eligibility periods are the same as the interim determination.
· The same eligibility periods apply for former employees. Former DHB / Te Whatu Ora employees can now apply to Te Whatu Ora now using this form and submitting it to the relevant payroll team as listed on the form.