Horowhenua StarMembers of the NZ Nurses Organisation at Te Whanau Resthome and Hospital took to the street on Wednesday to protest plans for restructuring by owner Bupa.
They say the plans would mean less care for residents, fewer jobs and fewer hours for existing staff.
They say the proposal by Bupa, which will affect 17 of its homes throughout the country, is a cost-cutting exercise that will result in exhaustion and burnout, which will affect the care they give residents.
Workers at Bupa’s Te Whanau Resthome and Hospital take their protest to the street on Wednesday, March 5.
Photo Janine Baalbergen
One staffer at the Levin home said the home already had consistent working patterns.
“The proposal says the number of roles in some instances may be reduced, and the proposal will be used to determine who gets the remaining roles,” the staffer said. “Many of us have been told to expect reduced hours, and with a family and a mortgage this will mean that many will look for work elsewhere.
“No-one knows what the unforeseen consequences of this proposal might be, and that is making us anxious.”
She said Te Whanau currently had nine fulltime nurses, and while the number would remain, at least four would go to part-time hours.
“We are expecting to do the same amount of work in less time.”
A spouse of one of the home’s 59 residents at the protest said she had nothing against the home or Bupa, and that her husband gets good care.
“But the staff are already run off their feet, and the time residents must wait before someone can get to them is agonising. The staff here are fantastic, they do the hard hard and always with a smile.”
Staff have until March 19 to respond to the proposal. A Bupa spokesperson said they had a month instead of the normal two weeks to do this.
“Proposed changes to roster patterns will ensure we can best match the skills of our people to the care needs of our communities,” the spokesperson said. “We believe our proposed new way of working provides a consistent standard of care while preserving the well-being of our people and allowing them to focus on what they do best – caring for our residents.”
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