New Zealand District Health Board nurses have worked more than 11,000 minutes for free since November 14.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation is urging DHB nurses to log every unpaid minute of work as it goes back into bargaining with DHB employers for an “improved offer”.

Nurses are registering every minute they started early, finished late and had interrupted or missed breaks due to inadequate staffing levels.

“Members tell us they are sick and tired of propping up the health system by giving up their free time, and that if we had safe staffing and healthy workplaces the problem would be fixed,” the union has stated.

There are 20 DHBs in New Zealand providing health and disability services, employing about 26,000 nurses.

NZNO campaigns adviser Huia Welton said the union plans to tally the unpaid minutes to support the issues raised in its MECA bargaining, which began on November 23, as part of a campaign for healthier workplaces.

“This campaign activity is growing in momentum. We’ll be encouraging all our DHB members to log all their unpaid minutes,” she said.

“(We are hoping to achieve) safe and healthy workplaces where members are paid for every minute they work.”

Nurses who work an eight or 10 hour shift are entitled to two paid 10 minute tea breaks, with one generally taken every four hours, and one unpaid meal break of no less than 30 minutes.

Nurses unable to be relieved from the workplace for a meal break are entitled to a meal while on duty and to be paid for that time.

Those working 12 hour shifts are entitled to three paid 10 minute tea breaks and two meal breaks, one paid and the other unpaid, with each no less than 30 minutes.