Nurses are set to walk off the job on October 23, joining teachers and allied health workers in what could become one of the country’s largest strikes in decades, RNZ reported.
According to a report by RNZ, more than 36,000 nurses employed by Health NZ will stop work for four hours, alongside 11,500 allied health workers and 40,000 primary school teachers who have already announced strike action for the same day.
The Public Service Association (PSA) said its members voted “overwhelmingly” to strike after more than a year of stalled bargaining with Health NZ Te Whatu Ora. The union claims workers’ concerns over unsafe staffing levels and fair pay have been ignored, reported RNZ.
PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said the government must “properly fund health services, so that workers have enough money to live on and can continue to help New Zealanders facing challenges,” as reported by RNZ.
According to RNZ, Community mental health nurse Monique Larsen said staff had “run out of patience” with the system. “We’re constantly trying to look after patients with absolute minimum levels of staffing; it’s not sustainable,” she said. Post-pandemic drug and addiction issues have placed further strain on already stretched services, she added.
Registered nurse and PSA delegate Roy Bicknell echoed the concerns, saying workers were reluctant to strike but had no choice. “Every day I see staff battle to provide quality healthcare in unsafe working environments,” he said, RNZ reported.
The PSA warned that if conditions do not improve, more nurses and health workers could leave for better pay and support in Australia.
Health NZ said it had not yet received an official strike notice, but a spokesperson insisted its pay offer was fair and that bargaining remained the best way forward.
If it goes ahead, the strike will mark a historic show of force across education and healthcare, sectors already under intense pressure since the Covid-19 pandemic.
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