pay equity – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

October 2026

Vote for health: From Labour to ACT, how will (or won’t) our politicians fix pay equity?

By Kaitiaki coeditors

November 2, 2026

Kaitiaki launches an eight-day crash course on how our politicians plan to fix a health system in crisis. We’ve posed eight questions to the main parties. Now we’re rolling out their responses – or lack thereof – before the Election.

Today we ask: What will you do to support pay equity for women-dominated workforces?

October 2026

‘Without a shred of emotion in her voice’: Sue Bradford dissects pay equity wipe-out

By Sue Bradford

October 12, 2026

Speaking at the NZNO annual conference, Sue Bradford, people’s select committee member, shared the story of a group set up to give voice to workers and women on pay equity — and the “different kind of democracy” they discovered.

October 2026

Care and support workers first in line for pay equity boost under new Government

By Mary Longmore and Joel Maxwell

October 2, 2026

Auckland health-care assistant (HCA) Sabina Lama says this week’s pay equity announcement by the Greens gives her a “glimmer of hope”.

September 2026

Manapōti wāhine: ‘Still fighting’ for economic equality 133 years after suffrage

By Mary Longmore

September 19, 2026

‘You look beautiful, powerful and strong!’ Feminist crowd grooves into Parliament to ‘girls just have funds’.

August 2026

My first political forum after 16 years as a registered nurse – here’s what I learned

By Olivia Vodanovich

August 5, 2026

A high-profile election health forum in Auckland drew 1400 people and media attention for its political attendance (or lack of) — but for NZNO private hospital delegate Olivia Vodanovich it was a first-time eye opener.

August 2026

High Court becomes new frontline in battle to win back pay equity rights

By Joel Maxwell

August 4, 2026

It was a bleak and freezing Wellington morning but a trio of primary school kids were about to grab the bullhorn and preach about pay equity.

July 2026

Why the Government’s pay equity amendments needed international scrutiny

By Gail Pacheco

July 6, 2026

Placing the decision to amend the pay equity framework under the international spotlight is more than just a legal challenge, writes Gail Pacheco.

June 2026

Bupa aged-care nurses latest to raise pay equity claim

By Kaitiaki coeditors

May 22, 2026

NZNO nurses working at Bupa aged residential care homes throughout Aotearoa have raised a pay equity claim to address historic gender-based wage discrimination.

May 2026

Complaint lodged with UN over ‘sneaky’ gutting of pay equity claims

By Mary Longmore and Joel Maxwell

May 6, 2026

New Zealand has become an international “pariah” since gutting pay equity laws — and now faces further humiliation as the United Nations is asked to investigate.

May 2026

Pay equity wasn’t a nice-to-have — now the UN will have a chance to examine the issue

By Judy McGregor

May 6, 2026

For generations, women’s work has been undervalued – not accidentally, but systemically, writes Judy McGregor.

April 2026

Purple passion — a week of health-care workers showing their true colours

By Joel Maxwell

March 13, 2026

So much purple, so little time.

April 2026

‘We are not going to stop until we get it back’ — women, unions vow to fight for pay equity

By Mary Longmore

March 10, 2026

The message was short, sharp and defiant.

‘We are not going to stop until we get it back’ — women, unions vow to fight for pay equity

April 2026

Cut-down cupcakes, cute dinosaurs . . . nurses and kaiāwhina get creative for pay equity’s go purple day

By Mary Longmore

March 5, 2026

As nurses and kaiāwhina everywhere prepare to purple up for pay equity tomorrow in the run-up to International Women’s Day, we bring you some eye-grabbing inspiration from around the motu.

March 2026

‘Don’t be defeated, that’s what they want’: Government blasted at pay equity report launch

By Joel Maxwell

February 26, 2026

It’s easy to overlook personal distress when you’re talking about billions of dollars — but palliative care nurse Fiona McDougal simply felt gutted when she heard the news.

March 2026

Business lobbyists, code names and Treaty breaches: People’s voice damning on pay equity

By Joel Maxwell

February 24, 2026

New light has been shed on the lengths the Government went to keep law changes gutting pay equity claims a secret — including an awkward meeting for the Health Minister.

December 2025

Mums and grand mums ‘working for free’ to face another tough Christmas

By Renee Kiriona

December 11, 2025

There are unlikely to be many presents under the Christmas trees of hundreds of thousands of women throughout Aotearoa this year because they are “working for free” right now, according to the Council of Trade Unions.

January 2026

He āputa ā-pūtea kua huraina — ko te take e hiahia nei te 80 ōrau o ēnei tapuhi kia wehe

By Joel Maxwell

December 10, 2025

Kua whāki atu ngā tapuhi hauora tuatahi mō ō rātou utu ā-hāora — kia tūhura ake pea i te take ka moemoeā te 80 ōrau o rātou mō ā rātou wehe i te rāngai.

January 2026

Cash gap revealed — why 80 per cent of these nurses think of escaping

By Joel Maxwell

December 10, 2025

Nurses in grassroots health care have dished on pay rates, workloads and just how many of them have considered leaving the sector.

November 2025

Cops already outstripping nurses as pay equity crumbles, committee hears

By Joel Maxwell

October 14, 2025

It was nice while it lasted — cops are already leaving nurses in the dust as pay equity collapses, the people’s select committee has heard.

October 2025

‘I want to see every health-care worker valued and paid fairly’

By Marianne Harris

September 22, 2025

A nurse and ‘proud union member’ explains why fair pay is so important.

27 Oct	Pilot registry to trial a safer path for women’s pelvic health Health New Zealand has started a pilot in Christchurch today to test processes required to establish a nationwide registry for female pelvic floor procedures, including surgical mesh.
23 Oct	National’s hiring freeze puts lives at risk Last night’s warnings from doctors at Wairau Hospital that patients may die if they don’t get more staff is yet another example of the damage National’s hiring freeze has done to our health system.
23 Oct	Recognition of need to fix primary care crisis good for patients Recognition of the need to fix the crisis in primary health care is good for patients but stops short of a much-needed overhaul of the sector, NZNO says.
20 Oct	Winners of the 2026 NZ Primary Healthcare Awards \| He Tohu Mauri Ora announced Over 600 supporters of primary care gathered at the Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre on Saturday night for a glittering gala dinner for the 2026 New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards \| He Tohu Mauri Ora.
19 Oct	Te Whatu Ora must fully staff vital Starship Children's Hospital wards Te Whatu Ora must fully staff all wards at Starship Children's Hospital including four vital wards which are short of a total of 18 full-time nurses, NZNO says.
16 Oct	Paid placements policy will help boost nursing workforce A policy to pay nursing students a weekly allowance while they're on clinical placements will help them graduate and boost Aotearoa New Zealand's homegrown nursing workforce, NZNO says.
5 Oct	Labour's pay rise a first step, but pay equity needs a full settlement Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO has welcomed Labour's promised pay rise for care and support workers as a first step. It says care and support workers now need a full settlement of their pay equity claim and a workable pay equity system for all of its members.
1 Oct	Health NZ releases first national report on serious adverse events Health New Zealand has published its first national Serious Adverse Event Report, acknowledging the serious harm experienced by patients and whānau and outlining the improvements identified and actions underway to strengthen patient safety. The report covers serious adverse events reported in Hospital and Specialist Services between 1 July and 31 December 2025.
25 Sept	380 more health care workers at the end of winter too little too late An announcement of 380 additional nurses, midwives and health care assistants for hospitals around the country at the end of winter is too little too late, NZNO says.
23 Sept	Auckland University research finds nurse shortages increase post-surgery deaths and complications New research by Auckland University has found addressing nurse shortages in post-operative care may save 182 lives a year because short-staffed wards have higher rates of potentially preventable deaths and complications after their surgeries.
21 Sept	Whanganui Hospital ED averaged 680% capacity over a week Working in an overcrowded emergency department (ED), up to 680% capacity over a week, makes staff feel overwhelmed with the pressure, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says.
14 Sept	WellSouth's Newborn Enrolment Kahu Taurima Programme a finalist at the Primary Care Awards 2026 WellSouth's Newborn Enrolment Kahu Taurima Programme is a finalist at the Primary Care Awards for the HALEO Best Supplier Service, Product or Campaign category. Winners will be announced on 17 October.
14 Sept	Global Study: Nursing Shortages Require Workforce Policy Solutions, Not Recruitment Campaigns Alone Why people choose nursing, and why they leave, comes down to the same factors. The global nursing shortage cannot be solved simply by encouraging more people to enter the profession, according to a new evidence brief.
8 Sept	Overworked, understaffed Gisborne ED staff strike Health and safety concerns arising from unsafe staffing levels have forced nurses at Gisborne Hospital’s emergency department (ED) to go on strike.
4 Sept	Strong growth in wāhine Māori and Pacific women’s cervical screening rates highlights success of self-testing programme Cervical screening participation has increased significantly for both wāhine Māori and Pacific women, reflecting the strong impact of self-testing, Screening Services and the dedicated efforts of health providers working alongside their communities.
4 Sept	Government must adopt Wai 2713 recommendations on disability system The Coalition Government must urgently adopt new recommendations from the Waitangi Tribunal which has found significant parts of the disability system prejudice tāngata whaikaha Māori (Māori with disabilities), NZNO says.
31 Aug	Employing graduate nurses will help keep them in nursing and the country A new proposal that will require Te Whatu Ora to offer all eligible graduate nurses jobs in the public health system will help keep them in nursing and in Aotearoa New Zealand, NZNO says.
26 Aug	Health Minister’s claim Winter Plan ‘managing well’ delusional Health Minister Simeon Brown’s claim that hospitals are ‘managing well’ because of the Government’s Winter Plan is delusional, NZNO says.
25 Aug	Hospital data shows nursing shortages continue to put patients at risk Te Whatu Ora data released today shows patients are continuing to be put at risk by the Coalition Government’s deliberate failure to safely staff hospital wards, NZNO says.
24 Aug	Fed-up North Shore ED staff declare state of emergency NZNO members working in the emergency department (ED) at North Shore Hospital have declared a state of emergency due to unsafe staffing levels resulting in ongoing overcrowding.
19 Aug	What happened to the winter health plan? The $25 million 2026 Winter Plan launched by Health Minister Simeon Brown in March to erase pressure on the health system has been an unmitigated disaster, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says.
11 Aug	Applications open for advanced nursing education programmes Health New Zealand is encouraging registered nurses to apply for two advanced education programmes that support nurses to further develop their clinical skills and expand access to care in communities across New Zealand.
3 Aug	Health New Zealand welcomes settlement of NZRDA collective agreement Health New Zealand welcomes the vote by New Zealand Resident Doctors Association (NZRDA) members to settle their collective agreement.
30 Jul	Backing our frontline rural health workforce Rural communities across New Zealand will benefit from three new investments that will support the rural health workforce and help more people access care closer to home, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says.
22 Jul	Te Whatu Ora must disclose staffing levels at time of tragic death Te Whatu Ora must disclose whether the Waikato emergency department (ED) was short-staffed at the time a man tragically died in the waiting room, NZNO says.
6 Jul	Reflecting on IND 2026 Looking back on last month’s International Nurses Day 12 May 2026 (IND 2026), the impact of this year's theme "Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives" continues to resonate across the world. ICN’s landmark IND 2026 report defined seven key powers of nursing and this message has been strengthened with nurses in every region celebrating, naming, and owning their powers throughout May.
3 Jul	Health New Zealand acknowledges Ombudsman statement on Wakari Ward 10A Health NZ welcomes the independent investigation by the Ministry of Health into Ward 10A. On Wednesday the Health NZ board agreed to close Wakari Ward 10a as a forensic intellectual disability (ID) unit, with the future use of the ward yet to be determined.
2 Jul	New programme to fast track bowel cancer care and cut colonoscopy waitlists Health New Zealand is today launching a national initiative, designed to fast track bowel cancer care and reduce colonoscopy waitlists by up to 30 per cent.
1 Jul	Six new Co-Response Team locations announced to strengthen support for people in mental distress The next six locations for Health New Zealand and NZ Police Co-Response Teams have been confirmed, expanding a model that helps people experiencing mental distress receive timely, wraparound support that better meets their health needs.
29 Jun	Mental health and addiction targets progress continues Health New Zealand continues to make important progress against its mental health and addiction targets, meeting four out of five national targets this quarter.
25 Jun	Access to care continuing to improve across a range of health indicators New health data released today shows continued improvement in access to care across a range of health indicators.
18 Jun	Funding "boost" continues dangerous under-funding of aged care The Health Minister’s funding "boost" for aged residential care continues underfunding to the sector and will continue unsafe practices and short staffing, which is putting vulnerable residents at risk, NZNO says.
16 Jun	Labour to make maternity scans free Labour will add free maternity scans to the Medicard alongside three free doctor’s visits a year, so every pregnant woman gets the care she needs.