Radio New Zealand (RNZ) has recently published the results of an official information request to the Ministry of Health. There is a reason over ten thousand healthcare workers applied for Covid-19 vaccination exemptions, including hundreds of doctors. Clearly however, no-one is going to ask why so many?
“And therein lies the difference between the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) and the Nurses Professional Association of New Zealand (NPANZ)", says Deborah Cunliffe, President of NPANZ.
"NPANZ acknowledges the difficult decision every single one of the 1984 nurses and midwives who were granted an exemption had to make in applying for a Significant Service Disruption (SSD). We also acknowledge the thousands of doctors, nurses and midwives who were prevented from accessing an SSD; many have since lost trust in the system and added to the ongoing workforce deficit.
Comments by NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku to RNZ do nothing to exonerate the disgraceful behaviour of legacy unions during the Covid-19 mandates and simply insult every nurse or midwife who was exempted, mandated or felt they had no option but to have the Covid-19 vaccine.
"Every single nurse and midwife counts”, says Deborah. “Even if there were only 10 nurses or midwives exempted, mandated or resigned; those nurses/midwives/carers and their families count… they matter. As it transpires however, there are now ~14,000 exemptions plus thousands mandated and many more who have resigned or stepped down because they are overwhelmed and under supported.”
"Equally as sad is the reality that many nurses and midwives felt they had no option but to get the vaccine or lose their livelihoods", says Deborah Cunliffe, herself a mandated Clinical Nurse Specialist in Diabetes. Mrs Cunliffe was herself refused an SSD, despite it being supported by her Paediatrician, at rural Masterton Hospital.
“Clearly, the NZNO team are now doing some backpedalling and experience proves they simply cannot be trusted to represent all their members when the cards are down. Keri is quite right that the vaccine mandates ‘posed’ many good people against one another, and that NZNO have to do things better. The issue is, can they be trusted? “It's too late to commence niceties now” says Deborah. "NZNO knew at the time good nurses were being sacked and/or coerced into having the vaccine and they stood back and did nothing. They cannot be trusted."
Nurses need to know that when the going gets tough they will be 100% protected. This time it was about a vaccine, next time who knows? How many Nurses are willing to pay Union fees for 40 years only to be told by their existing Union that they can do nothing to help?.
The Nurses Professional Association of New Zealand, a Registered Trade Union provides professional support for nurses and other healthcare workers who chose to protect their bodily autonomy and defend their human rights. NPANZ can be reached at 04 887 6888 or via npanz.unions.co.nz for those nurses and carers who prefer to support an organisation that does not capitulate but will stand up and fight for its members, no matter the issue.
NPANZ has proven it will stand up and fight when others won't.