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National | Health

Māori nurses take a stand for equality

Nurses working for Māori and Iwi Providers took to the streets of Ngāruawāhia this morning in protest to expose the inequalities within the health sector.

There’s a 25% pay difference between nurses working under Māori and Iwi Providers than those working in the DHB sector.

Today’s hikoi (march) gave Māori nurses the opportunity to stand together to raise awareness around the inequalities within the health division.

Te Rūnanga o Aotearoa chief executive, Titihuia Pakeho, says, “Being a claimant to the Kaupapa Inquiries is an important step in getting our issues heard. Our hikoi is a march of collectivism and solidarity and we want to carry with us on the march the mauri of those who cannot physically join us in Ngāruawāhia.”

The fight for equality in the health sector began when Ngatia Nagel presented at the Māori Select Committee in 2007 and the issues did not go away despite the recommendations being banned by the incoming government at the time.