Health NZ ‘disappointed’ as nurses prepare for 24-hour strike
Friday, 11 July 2025
Nurses across the country are preparing to walk off the job for 24 hours at the end of the month as negotiations with Te Whatu Ora — Health New Zealand over pay, “chronic understaffing”, and “unsafe working conditions” hit a wall.
But the health agency is warning about 4,300 planned surgeries and first specialist appointments will have to rescheduled should the strike go ahead on July 30, further clogging the under-strain system.
Te Whatu Ora latest pay offer includes a 2% pay increase in 2025, followed by a 1% increase in 2026, along with two lump-sum payments of $325 in each year.
The health agency says this updated offer, released on June 30, follows recommendations from the Employment Relations Authority and is fair and fiscally responsible.
Under the proposal, a graduate nurse would earn about $8,337 more by mid-2026, including step progression, while a top-of-scale registered nurse would see their salary increase from $106,739 to $109,963.
Enrolled nurses at Step 5 would also receive a $2,000 increase from January 2026.
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) has criticised the offer, saying it fails to meet the cost of living and removes previous commitments to Māori health, including a tikanga allowance and kaupapa Māori dispute resolution process.
Its chief executive Paul Goulter said Te Whatu Ora could return with an improved offer over the next few weeks, as nurses prepare for the strike on July 30, but did not think this was likely.
The planned 24-hour strike will affect public hospitals nationwide, though life-preserving services such as emergency and critical care will remain in place.
Concerns for patient care
Health New Zealand said it is concerned about the prospect of further strike action by nurses and the impact this would have on patients waiting for planned care and specialist appointments.
Acting chief executive, Robyn Shearer, said an estimated that 4300 planned procedures and specialist appointments would have to be postponed should the 24-hour strike action go ahead.
Nurses say it’s not about pay
Adding to frustrations is what the union describes as slow and inconsistent hiring, particularly for new graduates who are struggling to find placements.
Wellington paediactric nurse and union delegate, Mel Anderson, said her ward hadn’t hired any new gradutes this year. “That is so sad, that we are not going to build our workforce with our New Zealand nurses that were trained here,” she said.
Nurses are also concerned about the quality of care they can provide.
An Official Information Act request obtained by NZNO showed that 297 of 540 hospital wards— more than half — were understaffed at least 20% of the time in 2023.
Despite the growing pressure, nurses say the strike is a last resort and not something they take lightly.