MERAS industrial co-leader Jill Ovens spoke to Karyn Hay on Radio New Zealand about the Nurses strike on 9 June.

Jill explained that the majority of midwives are members of MERAS, which is supporting the NZNO but can’t strike because their pay deal is still under negotiation.

Jill talked about the serious level of understaffing that exists in hospitals in New Zealand and explained how the DHBs’ life preserving services requirements effectively remove midwives’ right to strike, which is a breach of international law.