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Introducing our Delegate Reps & Project Roles

Following applications in October/November 2023, the appointment process has concluded, and we are delighted to announce the four members appointed to these invited roles are:Delegate Reps: Brad Atkinson and Dale AndrewProject Rep - Non-Training: Anika RadojkovichProject Rep - House Officer: Maria NonisBrad Atkinson:Hi, I’m Brad, a PGY4 Non-Training Orthopaedic Registrar based in Whangarei Hospital that will be in the role of Delegate Representative for 2024. I chose to join STONZ as a Trainee...

Membership fees

For the first time since we began in 2018 our Membership fees are increasing.As is the case for all businesses, cost pressures have increased dramatically, and this is no different for STONZ. We need to ensure we have the ability to continue advocating for and supporting our members through the years ahead.That is why for the first time since STONZ began in 2018 we are increasing the membership fee.  We have put this off as long as possible, however in order to continue to operate at the de...

Unyoked

Amy G Dala.What? Oh, sorry, that's right... awkward cough ...we mean:Amygdala.Yes. It's part of your brain. No, it has nothing to do with anyone called Amy. Unless your name is Amy...in which case - Amy, it's part of your brain.More accurately, it's an almond-shaped structure that's part of your limbic system and it plays a primary role in emotional responses such as fear, anxiety and aggression (aka "stress").So, why are we going all Dougie Howser on you on a Thursday morning?Because increasing...

Union membership - demystifying changing unions and SECAs

Our team get a lot of questions about the rules around when RMOs can change union membership and/or collective agreement (SECA) terms & conditions (T&Cs) that you are covered by. Below we share information and a flowchart to help demystify the process and terms involved.The first thing to note, is that the ability to change union and/or your terms and conditions is outlined by the Employment Relations Act, rather than something in our Collective Agreement.When can I change union?  A...

Unyoked x STONZ 5th Birthday Giveaway

We don’t want to alarm you but… it is December. Officially.The shops have been ready since October, Mariah Carey has been unthawed to become our auditory overlord and the risk of end-of-year burnout is heightened.Sure, December is the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ but it’s also a fair bit of stress.As deadlines shorten, there's a frenzied rush to sign off on projects and suss out your admin before the year concludes, suddenly everything is urgent and important. Your calendar become...

How to invest when the world has changed

Large government and household debts, higher-for-longer interest rates, and rising geopolitical uncertainty are growing concerns for investment markets.Lofty valuations during the COVID era may have made sense in an environment with low inflation, low interest rates, and high corporate earnings. But now, the world has changed.Across the globe, while inflation has fallen from its peaks, it remains stubbornly above targets. Following aggressive rate hikes, central banks are now taking a more measu...

Standing in solidarity with Healthcare workers around the world

The STONZ Executive team are shocked by the events in the Middle East and the increasing loss of life and injuries inflicted on healthcare workers and civilians since 7 October 2023.The World Health Organization has documented multiple unacceptable attacks on healthcare workers, patients, and families in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel, resulting in fatalities, injuries and the destruction of critical healthcare infrastructure. Healthcare workers have died and have been injured while on duty.As ...

September Update

Kia ora koutou,We know the upcoming bargaining is on everyone’s minds, so we’ll start with an update there…The STONZ bargaining team has now had two days of pre-bargaining with Te Whatu Ora. This is classified as pre-bargaining because we are starting discussions before the formal bargaining period.All members should have received an update via email which includes more details of what was discussed. If you didn’t receive this, please check your ‘junk inbox’, or email support@stonz.c...

Upcoming Election & Promises on the campaign trail…

The election campaign period is in full swing, and health is one of the big issues parties are focusing on. And all this is happening as we engage in our negotiations with Te Whatu Ora. We’ve already started to make it clear to MPs and voters that RMO pay is a big issue this year with a great story in Newsroom prior to our first negotiation pre-meeting and a recent op-ed in NZ Doctor from Christina that outlines the issue women in medicine face - including pay.We know that there are many other...

STONZ in the News

STONZ have engaged with media ahead of bargaining to help build support and signal our issues. The first of these stories was published on Newsroom here, and resulted in useful public statements by the Minister and Te Whatu Ora regarding pay expectations.STONZ Senior executive team member Christina Matthews has also recently published an opinion piece in New Zealand Doctor that you can read here. It is focused on the barriers women still face in medicine and underscores the role pay had in reduc...

Unyoked x STONZ Mental Health Awareness Week giveaway

In life, and especially in hospitals, we spend a lot of time reading signs. No parkingOpen/Closed AdmissionsTheatreIn patients OutpatientsWhen we see these signs, we adapt and change our approach accordingly.  (The Jury's out on parking signs though).The signs we struggle to recognise are often those first signs of burnout.Poor sleep Irritability AnxietyStruggling to focus Rather than adapt, when we experience these, we tend to do the opposite. We push them asi...

MCNZ Meeting Update

Kia ora Members,Earlier this week STONZ had the opportunity to present to Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa (MCNZ), alongside the NZRDA and ASMS. The invitational brief was to present our feedback on the workforce pipeline and training pathways. The council are a committed and deep-thinking group who were a privilege to meet. I am hopeful they took on board the concerns raised about the pipeline and areas for improvement that STONZ suggested. The major concerns I presented were that the pip...

STONZ and MAS working together to support RMOs

STONZ, a union advocating for and run by resident medical officers (RMOs), and MAS, a member-owned insurance and investment provider founded by doctors, have agreed to work together to support RMOs throughout New Zealand. By working together, MAS can help STONZ members to get ahead financially and protect what’s most important. STONZ and MAS will collaborate to ensure postgraduate doctors receive the advice they need to get on track financially early in their careers. Support will also be...

July Update

As we reflect on a huge first half of the year I want to thank everyone for hanging in there as we head further into winter! We know that as the winter bugs escalate, and our shortages are exacerbated, you will no doubt be stretched. It's a time to remind your peers and colleagues to make sure they’re getting out and about and are doing something to help with their wellbeing over the next few months – until the sun shines again!  One of our main focuses coming up is making our prep...

Introducing our new team member: Therese

Kia ora koutou,  I’m Therese, and I’m the new RMO Coordinator here at STONZ. I started at STONZ in May of this year as a fresh university graduate from UC with a bachelor’s degree in health sciences, majoring in Public Health. I completed internships at Kidney Health New Zealand and the Cancer Society and had previous experience as a research assistant.  After I graduated from university, my family and I packed our bags to go on a month-long excursion around my home country and t...

Pre-negotiation Survey Results

A big thank you to the 652 members who took the time to share their valuable insights and experiences. Your input provides us with a clearer understanding of the challenges and priorities that our members have ahead of going into contract negotiations, starting in September. Your voice and your feedback are key to our preparations, and the data from the survey is immensely helpful.Our support team has been hard at work, analysing and theming the survey response to identify key themes and areas o...

Taking parental leave soon or planning for the future?

Following the 2023 negotiations survey there were a few comments made about parental leave and the request for more resources and a central place for RMOs to find information about parental leave.STONZ created a webpage dedicated to parental leave following the 2021 negotiations so encourage members to check these out.We have put together these resources to help answer some of the questions RMOs have when applying for Parental leave. Whether you’re going to be the main caregiver or just need a...

Oral and Maxillofacial Perceptions Study

Hi Everyone,We’re conducting a national, multi-disciplinary survey to look at the perceptions of the scope of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and similar specialties including Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ophthalmology and Dental Surgery.It’s a short (only 8-9 minutes) online survey and you have the chance to receive a $50 Countdown voucher. (It’s actually quite a fun survey).All you need to do is:1.     &nbs...

June Update

It has been another busy few months for the STONZ team. Firstly, a big thank you again to those who completed the member negotiations survey, the team has been working through the over 200+ pages of your feedback; and the responses will be invaluable to assist and support our upcoming negotiations. Be sure to review the high-level summary of the main themes from the survey up on the STONZ blog now.In part due to the current pressures on the system and the increasing numbers of RMO & SMO vaca...

Beating the Burnout

I’m not well-traveled, to say the least. Until recently, It had been over 10 years since I’d stepped outside the country. COVID wasn’t to blame.The border lock-downs seemed like an eternity, but they didn’t last a decade… For once, getting an extended period of leave was easy. Three weeks off, I didn’t quite know how to spend it. My first thought was a quiet 'stay-cation', what with research projects on the go and the annual recruitment cycle looming. That seemed like the safe bet. I...

May Update

Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone that completed this year’s negotiation and remuneration survey we sent out recently. 652 of our members took the time to complete the survey, so thank you! We are now starting to review the responses and will be using your feedback to directly influence preparations for negotiations and what we ask for at the table. Thank you to those who also answered the remuneration questions in relation to ‘how RMOs are paid’. As we’ve discussed previously, we ar...

Outsourcing & Out-Listing

Thank you to all our members who responded to our survey earlier this year about the impact of the effect of care moving out of the public sector.  Your feedback is invaluable, enabling us to better understand what is happening across the motu and how this has impacted you and your training.They key takeaways from our membership which we will be sharing with key stakeholders are:Outsourcing is impacting training opportunities; Cases suitable for training are being outsourced with minimal op...

Unyoked x STONZ collaboration

As the modern sage Ferris Bueller wisely said "life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." ⁠These days he's more right than ever, especially for those working in our healthcare system.⁠Modern life and work rhythms have us hurrying here and busying there.Jumping from one emergency to the next (literally).It tricks us into thinking we HAVE to do it…at the expense of everything else (which let’s face it, is sometimes definitely true). ⁠He...

Negotiations Update

As you will be aware, STONZ is heading into contract negotiations again later this year. We last updated our contract in 2021 and whilst 2-years is a long time on paper, it certainly comes up quickly! So, once again to help with preparations STONZ is conducting another membership survey to gather information from members that will inform upcoming negotiations. The results of the survey will help us to better understand what you see as the big issues (and some of the smaller ones) and confirm pri...

Introducing the Team: Becky!

Kia Ora,I’m Becky and I started with the STONZ team in early 2021 in a fixed term role, brought on board initially to help provide the team with support with membership queries and ongoing projects with the lead up to 2021 negotiations. Luckily the team wanted to keep me on and I have just recently celebrated my 2 year anniversary!Prior to that I was still working in health, however not directly with RMOs so it has been exciting and challenging experience to learn more about how RMOs work and ...