The nurses' union and district health boards have just ended a day of talks in Wellington.
Nurses protest on the streets of Auckland as they take industrial action after failed negotiations. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
Negotiators for both sides spent almost six hours in closed-door negotiations.
Nurses walked off the job for 24 hours nationwide last Thursday in a deepening row over pay and staffing primarily.
The talks by negotiators for the Nurses Organisation (NZNO) and District Health Boards (DHBs) today are aimed at finding a way through the row, and ultimately settlement of the nurses' collective agreement.
The latest talks were unexpected; the nurses' union had said it would take the first two days of this week to consider its position before meeting DHB representatives later.
That changed mid-afternoon yesterday with the union saying it would meet the board representatives in Wellington at 10.30am.
Neither side has been available to comment today, however, the union said late yesterday it understood the health boards would have a revised offer to discuss.
For their part, DHBs would only confirm a return to bargaining.
The talks today are expected to focus on recommendations of the Employment Relations Authority facilitator about how to resolve the impasse.
Its report went to both sides late last Wednesday - too late to have an influence on the planned strike that began at 7am the following day.
While not binding, the recommendations - which neither side has been willing to release publicly - might enable them to find a way forward.
Also expected to be discussed today is nurses' key priorities of a better offer on staffing in hospitals, implementing improved pay sooner, and more money overall for the settlement package, which is estimated to be worth $520 million currently.
Nurses on picket lines throughout the country expressed distrust in DHBs' promises, and spoke repeatedly about unsafe staffing because of insufficient hospital nurses. Some nurses said they expect to have to take further strike action in support of their aims and would be willing to do so.
Their union is also under pressure from activist nurses who believe DHB pay offers to date have been insufficient.
Whether this makes another ballot over possible strike action inevitable remains to be seen. Yesterday a nurses' union spokesperson, Cee Payne, said: "Our first focus is getting, if we can, an improved offer".
She reiterated the offer would require more money.