Health New Zealand. Health New Zealand has started a new round of restructuring. It's asking for voluntary redundancies from anyone working in health administration, advisory and knowledge roles. To apply for redundancy. Health Commissioner Alista Levy has previously said that they need to cut between two thy five hundred and three thousand back office staff to save money. Nurses Organization Chief executive Paul Golter is with us on this.

Health New Zealand. Health New Zealand has started a new round of restructuring. It's asking for voluntary redundancies from anyone working in health administration, advisory and knowledge roles. To apply for redundancy. Health Commissioner Alista Levy has previously said that they need to cut between two thy five hundred and three thousand back office staff to save money. Nurses Organization Chief executive Paul Golter is with us on this.

Hey, Paul, good, good afternoon.

Hey, Paul, good, good afternoon.

Do we know how many they may cut in this round of redundancy?

Do we know how many they may cut in this round of redundancy?

No, No, we don't, which is one of the unfortunate things that have resulted from their failure to follow a proper consultation process. So we're unable to answer that. Yeah.

No, No, we don't, which is one of the unfortunate things that have resulted from their failure to follow a proper consultation process. So we're unable to answer that. Yeah.

Now, I mean, we'll probably disagree about whether the back office is a little bit fat here, but I mean I think what we will agree on is if you cut too deep, it affects the front front of line staff, doesn't it.

Now, I mean, we'll probably disagree about whether the back office is a little bit fat here, but I mean I think what we will agree on is if you cut too deep, it affects the front front of line staff, doesn't it.

Yeah, And that's the that's the feedback we've been getting all day as a nursa is saying, well, who's going to do that work? And if it's us, who's going to do the rest of the work we have to leave behind. So there's real knock on effects in this sort of thing, and that's the sort of thing that should have been worked through with us.

Yeah, And that's the that's the feedback we've been getting all day as a nursa is saying, well, who's going to do that work? And if it's us, who's going to do the rest of the work we have to leave behind. So there's real knock on effects in this sort of thing, and that's the sort of thing that should have been worked through with us.

But do you guys want to have a say on it?

But do you guys want to have a say on it?

Well, the proposition has always come from the employer, But basically there are consultation clauses inside the collective agreements which require the employer to bring the their proposal to the table and you sit down and you have a talk about the numbers, and you wik your way through it, and ultimately a proposal will emerge, which will be the employer's proposal, and ultimately it's their decision. But working through that process is way better understanding that what's going on, and a chance to say, maybe, as an employee, you got it.

Well, the proposition has always come from the employer, But basically there are consultation clauses inside the collective agreements which require the employer to bring the their proposal to the table and you sit down and you have a talk about the numbers, and you wik your way through it, and ultimately a proposal will emerge, which will be the employer's proposal, and ultimately it's their decision. But working through that process is way better understanding that what's going on, and a chance to say, maybe, as an employee, you got it.

Wrong, Paul, but I mean with respect, While I do totally understand that you guys want to have to say, if they have to consult with every single union that is represented in a hospital, they will be consulting for months because it's you guys, it's the doctors, it's the other doctors, it's the cleaners, it's everybody.

Wrong, Paul, but I mean with respect, While I do totally understand that you guys want to have to say, if they have to consult with every single union that is represented in a hospital, they will be consulting for months because it's you guys, it's the doctors, it's the other doctors, it's the cleaners, it's everybody.

Yeah, well, they should have thought about it that when they put those clauses into the agreement.

Yeah, well, they should have thought about it that when they put those clauses into the agreement.

Is the agreement, is that clause in the agreement not pertaining to consultation with the affected union, not every other union.

Is the agreement, is that clause in the agreement not pertaining to consultation with the affected union, not every other union.

With the book. So I can only expect, obviously for ended no, and we definitely have that clause, and I understand that's common to the others. But we will be affected by the proposal. There's no doubt to talk about that. And so we just didn't get a chance to have a conversation at all about that. So it was just pretty much announced.

With the book. So I can only expect, obviously for ended no, and we definitely have that clause, and I understand that's common to the others. But we will be affected by the proposal. There's no doubt to talk about that. And so we just didn't get a chance to have a conversation at all about that. So it was just pretty much announced.

Does your so do your contracts, your collective agreements say that they have to consult with you guys, not just on redundancies that affect nurses, but on redundancies that affect literally any job that may be adjacent.

Does your so do your contracts, your collective agreements say that they have to consult with you guys, not just on redundancies that affect nurses, but on redundancies that affect literally any job that may be adjacent.

To a nurse it's affected by is the test and I think you put your finger on it right opening question. You know, the knock on effects of taking roles out, particularly in a very and a dependent industry like our health has a real iumpact.

To a nurse it's affected by is the test and I think you put your finger on it right opening question. You know, the knock on effects of taking roles out, particularly in a very and a dependent industry like our health has a real iumpact.

Paul, Can you assure me that you guys are not just being difficult to make life difficult for a center right government that you don't support, because this just feels a bit picky from you.

Paul, Can you assure me that you guys are not just being difficult to make life difficult for a center right government that you don't support, because this just feels a bit picky from you.

No, I think enforcing or having your contractful obligations in the cliquic agreements met. I think that's independent of who's in power, and more importantly, they're there to get a better outcome than just one party saying this is the rules and you've got to abide by them.

No, I think enforcing or having your contractful obligations in the cliquic agreements met. I think that's independent of who's in power, and more importantly, they're there to get a better outcome than just one party saying this is the rules and you've got to abide by them.

Paul, listen. Thank you very much. I really appreciate I actually, Paul, before I let you go, do you know anything about what's going on here with the HDU department in Wellington?

Paul, listen. Thank you very much. I really appreciate I actually, Paul, before I let you go, do you know anything about what's going on here with the HDU department in Wellington?

I'm sorry, I just you just dropped out HDU partners.

I'm sorry, I just you just dropped out HDU partners.

No, no, do you anything about what's going on with the HDU the High Dependency Unit in Wellington Regional Hospital?

No, no, do you anything about what's going on with the HDU the High Dependency Unit in Wellington Regional Hospital?

No, no, I don't. I'm sorry. I know there's constant problems here.

No, no, I don't. I'm sorry. I know there's constant problems here.

You're not expected to know everything. Thank you very much, PAULA really appreciate it. Paul Goalter from the New Zealand Nurses Organization. For more from hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio

You're not expected to know everything. Thank you very much, PAULA really appreciate it. Paul Goalter from the New Zealand Nurses Organization. For more from hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio