Among the first things to be dealt with is immediately improving safe staffing and the ability to realise pay equity for public-sector nurses and midwives by December 2019. Pay equity is a touchstone issue in New Zealand currently and addressing inequality in nursing will cost taxpayers. Unlike the public sector, companies like Bunnings have the ability to increase pay on merit. Successive governments and union bosses have failed to introduce a merit-based pay scale and that has been to the detriment of nurses, teachers and other public servants. As the public service grows with the current Government's plans, performance pay needs to be introduced to ensure public money is not wasted on mediocrity.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 07, 2018 16:33 UTC