Frustration over their patient safety concerns remaining unaddressed after a year of bargaining has resulted in more than 36,000 NZNO nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora voting to take further strike action.
The Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO members today voted to hold a four-hour strike from 11am to 3pm on Thursday 23 October.
NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter says the NZNO negotiating team has now held 31 days of meetings with Te Whatu Ora since collective bargaining began in September 2024.
"Today’s vote shows NZNO’s Health NZ -Te Whatu Ora members are frustrated that one year on, their concerns about safe staffing levels not being enforced and the risks that creates for patient safety, are still not being heard.
"Our members are telling Health NZ they are understaffed and overworked. Te Whatu Ora’s own figures show that New Zealand’s hospitals were, on average, 587 nurses short every shift last year.
Health Minister Simeon Brown has acknowledged they "need to be hiring more nurses at Health NZ," Paul Goulter says.
"It’s time for Te Whatu Ora to now reflect this in their bargaining approach; remove the covert recruitment freeze, enforce safe staffing levels and commit to hiring nurse graduates.
"Te Whatu Ora nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora will stand proudly alongside primary school teachers, allied health and mental health workers on 23 October," Paul Goulter says.
Editor notes:
- NZNO members will strike from 11am to 3pm on Thursday 23 October 2025.
- The strike will occur at every place in New Zealand at which Health New Zealand provides health services and/or disability support services.
- NZNO members will provide Life Preserving Services.