Massive strike could hit schools, hospitals, health services - all on the same day

Tuesday, 30 September 2025

The unions representing nurses and teachers argue the Coalition's legislation breached the right to fair legal process due to the lack of public consultation.

Four unions are planning a coordinated strike that will impact schools, hospitals, and other health services for late October.

If members agree to the industrial action, it will be one of the most disruptive days of industrial action seen in decades.

The strike was planned for October 23, and would lead to schools and high schools closing, while many nurses, health workers and in-home carers would also walk off the job on the same day.

Public Service Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said that, if it goes ahead, this would be “one of the largest strikes in New Zealand history”.

“We want to see employers and the Government fund health services properly, so that workers have enough money to live and continue to help others,” she said.

She told Stuff that, from the Public Service Association (PSA), more than 15,000 workers were considering the strike. That included allied health staff, social workers, occupational therapists, nurses and mental health workers. Those workers were voting this week on whether to join the coordinated strike.

Nurses are considering whether to strike again, with plans to join a national day of collective industrial action in late October.

The four unions who had confirmed they were planning to participate in the coordinated strike were the PSA, two teachers unions, and NZ Nurses Organisation.

But on Tuesday, Council of Trade Unions (CTU) president Richard Wagstaff told Stuff he knew other unions were also considering joining the strike.

“Time will tell. You know other unions are considering how they can do it and how they can support it,” he said.

He said the CTU was also working with the nursing, public service and teaching unions to help with promoting and coordinating the strike.

Council of Trade Unions economist Craig Renney and president Richard Wagstaff speak to reporters outside Parliament on September 30, 2025.

“We are concerned about the government provoking the situation by underfunding the public sector, expecting workers to take a pay cut in real terms, and expecting workers to get the same job done with less resources,” he said.

The Post-Primary Teachers Union (PPTA) confirmed its teachers would vote next week on whether to join the October 23 strike.

Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche is leading negotiations with teachers.

PPTA president Chris Abercrombie said it was one of the “proposed actions” in store for the start of term four, to respond to slow-moving pay negotiations with the Public Service Commission.

“This lack of progress includes the most recent offers from the Government which fail to meet the needs of secondary and area school teachers and students,” he said.

This year, the Public Service Commission had taken over negotiations for teachers.

Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche said he was “disappointed” the unions were planning more strikes.

“When public servants go on strike it has a significant impact on the New Zealanders they are meant to be serving.

“I respect their right to strike, but it should be a last resort,” he said.

He said the pay offers for teachers reflected “difficult economic times”.

“Bargaining is about compromise. Pay settlements must be affordable – there is not a bottomless pot of taxpayers’ money,” he said.

Earlier, the commission offered a pay rise of 2.5%, followed by 2.1% next year, for teachers at the top of the secondary teachers’ pay band.

Earlier, the NZEI - which represents primary and early childhood educators - also confirmed it was planning a strike on October 23.

It said its primary school teachers, principals, and support staff - but not early childhood teachers - would look to join the coordinated strike.

In a statement, Liam Rutherford, a teacher on the negotiating team, said the strike was needed because pay offers had not met inflation pressures for teachers.

Health Minister Simeon Brown has repeatedly criticised nurses for striking, saying the pay offer - of two consecutive 1% pay rises each year - was fair. Earlier this month he told an NZNO conference strikes were “hurting patients”.