More than 36,000 members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO)-including nurses, midwives, and healthcare assistants; participated in a 24‑hour strike beginning at 9 a.m. on July 30 and ending at 9 a.m. July 31, after rejecting a new pay offer from Health NZ (Te Whatu Ora) they described as a “massive backward step” for patient safety and workforce sustainability.
Why Nurses Walked Out
The industrial action centres on unresolved disputes over:
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Inadequate pay proposals, with a paltry 1% increase in April 2025 and another 1% in April 2026, which fails to keep pace with inflation and prior pay‑equity settlements
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The removal of tikanga allowance, kaupapa Māori dispute resolution process, and shift coordinator pay for longer shifts – moves that disproportionately affect Māori nurses and those in regional or extended‑shift settings
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Persistent understaffing: union data shows nearly 50% of day shifts in 16 districts are chronically understaffed, increasing risk to patients and burnout among staff
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Failure to commit to hiring all New Zealand-trained graduates – hiring rates have dropped from 90% to around 50% in recent years
