Why are you striking?
MERAS midwives are striking because our MECA expired almost 18 months ago. In that time our union has tried to engage with the DHBs to negotiate the terms and conditions of our employment. The DHBs refused to engage with us, telling us to wait until they had settled the Nurses’ MECA with the much larger union NZNO which represents nurses, some HCAs and less than 15% of employed midwives.