More than 36,000 nurses, midwives and health care assistants will walk off the job today and on Thursday over an ongoing pay dispute.
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) members will strike from 7am to 11pm on 2 and 4 September, the union has confirmed.
Health Minister, Simeon Brown, has slammed the protest action, saying it will mean thousands of New Zealanders will face more disruption, including the cancellation of around 2,251 more surgeries and treatments such as hip, knee, and cataract operations; delays for approximately 3,600 first specialist assessments; and the postponement of around 8,000 critical follow-up appointments.
"Even appointments before and after the strike will be delayed, with impacts expected to drag on well beyond the strike itself. For many patients, that means more pain, more uncertainty, and more time without the care they need," said Mr Brown.
"We value our nurses and the vital care they give patients. That's why our Government has invested heavily in our nursing workforce. The average salary for a registered nurse is now over $125,000 a year, including overtime and allowances, which aligns with base pay in New South Wales.
"Since 2011, NZNO union nurses' pay has risen by nearly 74%, which is more than double the wage growth of 35% across the wider economy."
The Minister said nurses also receive:
"This strike is a choice by the NZNO union to put politics ahead of patients. It will not shorten waitlists or improve care, it will only make delays worse for people already in pain and waiting for treatment. The NZNO union has also refused to disclose how its members voted on this strike."
"They should be upfront about it. Patients and nurses deserve honesty, not secrecy."
Minister Brown said Health New Zealand remains ready to negotiate in good faith. The current offer would see a new graduate nurse on $75,773 receive a total pay increase of $8,337 by the end of June 2026, including step progression.
"We will keep working to reduce wait times and get patients the care they need, when they need it. We thank the thousands of nurses who will continue to care for patients during this period, and we call on the NZNO union to stop playing games with people's lives, step back from this strike and return to the bargaining table, and put patients first."
NZNO delegate, Noreen McCallan says the two-day strike action was not taken lightly by members.
"We are doing this because we fear for the safety of our patients. We will lose two days' pay for striking but we are standing up for safe staffing because it is the right thing to do," she said.
"We became health workers because we want to care for people. But staff shortages have become overwhelming and exhausting for many of us. Our patients are suffering longer because we can't get to them as quickly as we should."
Ms McCallan says Te Whatu Ora calls to return to the bargaining table "don't make sense because NZNO never left it".
"NZNO has been in bargaining with Te Whatu Ora for almost a year. During this time NZNO has engaged in 28 days of bargaining, 13 of those were with support from the Mediation Service and three days in facilitation with the Employment Relations Authority.
"We were in mediation with Te Whatu Ora as recently as Wednesday. However, our concerns about short staffing remain unaddressed."