About 200 people picketed outside Dunedin Hospital this morning, protesting the unsafe staffing for nurses amid deadlocked negotiations over pay and conditions.
NZNO delegate Robyn Hewlett said there were not enough staff to provide quality care for patients at Dunedin Hospital.
Nurses were forced to work 12-hour shifts to cover staff shortages.
‘‘It's very busy, it's very heavy, it's very stressful for nurses.
‘‘Nurses are crying, it’s terrible.’’
She was protesting because of the working conditions not the pay today.
‘‘We’re basically just asking for safe staffing.’’
It made her feel angry and upset.
Dunedin members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) went on strike for 24 hours at 9am - with more than 36,000 nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants from across the country - over deadlocked contract negotiations with Te Whatu Ora.
They were joined by the International Socialist Organisation and the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union as they marched around the hospital to the Museum Reserve.
About 4300 patients would have procedures or specialist appointments postponed due to the strike, Health New Zealand said.
