Margie Apa: Health New Zealand chief executive wants to give nurses a pay rise as equity rates get fixed - Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

New moves to get extra cash into the pockets of our nurses.

Te Whatu Ora's asking the Employment Relations Authority for interim orders to fix pay equity rates for nurses.

It would increase pay for most by more than 14 percent, putting Kiwis on a par, or even above, their Australian counterparts.

Health New Zealand's chief executive, Margie Apa says an agreement was settled in principle, to offer three-quarters of nurses the pay bump last December.

She says unions then opted out, choosing legal action to fix the rates.

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