Healthcare workers hold placards at a picket line in Wellington as nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants strike nationwide. Photo: RNZ/Samuel Rillstone
Nurses begin the next round of their industrial action from Monday as they push for better staffing levels.
Local action will include district nurses on Auckland's North Shore wearing T-shirts saying 'Not Enough Nurses' instead of uniforms.
Nurses who work in the cardiothoracic and Vascular Intensive Care Units at Auckland City and Whangārei Hospital will refuse to shift to other wards to cover staff shortages.
"The North Shore District Nursing Service is short of six staff," NZNO delegate and district nurse Lesley Pook said. "That leaves 26 nurses to provide crucial community-based nursing, such as complex wound care, intravenous medication management, cancer treatment support and palliative care.
"Being short-staffed means we have to ration care. We can't see everyone when we need to and have to rush the appointments of those we can get to."
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) says it follows the 24-hour nationwide strike by 36,000 Te What Ora nurses, midwives and healthcare workers at the end of last month.
Last week, Health New Zealand was deeply concerned by the plans, which it said would cause the postponement of more than 2200 planned procedures, 3600 first specialist appointments and 8000 follow-up appointments.
NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter said Te Whatu Ora members voted strongly to go on strike, after a solution could not be found through bargaining.
A full strike is planned from 7am-11pm on Tuesday, 2 September and Thursday, 4 September.
"I think it very clearly points to nurses being fed up with the government's inability to resource the system properly to ensure patient safety," Goulter said.
Health NZ said it was happy to return to the bargaining table and was committed to finding a solution.
"We want to do our very best for our nurses and we think we've put a very fair offer on the table," Health NZ chief executive Dale Bramley said.
Health NZ industrial relations executive lead Robyn Shearer said contingency plans were in place to ensure the continued delivery of health services during strike action.
The latest offer
- A nurse on $75,773 would gain a total pay increase of $8337 (or 11 percent) by the end of June 2026, once step progression was included
- A registered nurse on the highest step, with a base salary of $106,739, would see their pay increase by $3224 to $109,963 by the end of June 2026
- The average salary for both senior and registered nurses, including overtime, PDRP allowance and penal rates, would be $125,662.
Acting Health Minister responds
"We value our nurses and the vital care they give patients," Acting Health Minister Matt Doocey confirmed. "That's why our government has invested heavily in our nursing workforce.
"The number of nurses employed by Health New Zealand has increased by over 2100 since 2023. Patient safety is Health New Zealand's top priority, but the NZNO Union is choosing to put politics ahead of patients.
"Health New Zealand remains ready to negotiate in good faith. The Union should come back to the negotiating table."
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