Hato Hone St John, along with the New Zealand Ambulance Association division of AWUNZ (NZAA division of AWUNZ), and FIRST Union are pleased to confirm the successful ratification and settlement of the Ambulance Operations Multi-Union Collective Agreement (MUCA).
On Friday, First Union informed Hato Hone St John that its members voted in favour of accepting the Terms of Settlement, which means that they will no longer be undertaking industrial action.
The news follows AWUNZ/NZAA members’ vote to ratify last month. The parties are now working towards finalising details of the MUCA, marking the conclusion of the bargaining process.
Dan Ohs, Hato Hone St John Deputy Chief Executive Ambulance Operations says it’s a positive outcome, following months of negotiations.
“While it’s been a challenging time for all involved, our joint priority with the union delegates has always been on reaching an agreeable settlement for our people, Mr Ohs says.
“I also want to acknowledge the personal impact that this process has had on our people. Industrial Action is never an easy choice to make, and I want to thank everyone involved for working together to minimise the impact on our patients.”
Mr Ohs has also welcomed some additional government funds that has helped to get this result.
“Hato Hone St John is grateful for the increased contribution and appreciate the relief this will bring to inflationary pressures.
“We will continue to work with the Government over the coming months to address the gap between how much it costs to run our ambulance services and the funding we receive.
“This means we will still be seeking full funding to cover the daily running costs and infrastructure to run the ambulance service when we negotiate our next contract, which begins in 2026.”
ENDS
For more information contact: media@stjohn.org.nz