strikes – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

January 2026

‘We are prepared to go hard, if that’s what members want’ — frustrated bargaining team back at the table

By Mary Longmore

January 30, 2026

‘Day 42, enough said!’ These are the words of NZNO’s hard-working bargaining team, wrangling jobs and Te Whatu Ora since late 2024.

January 2026

‘We should be free to worry about grades, not jobs’ — student nurse on hiring fears

By Hannah Watson

January 26, 2026

Nurses’ work is irreplaceable, says University of Auckland nursing student Hannah Watson — but why then are her cohort worrying about their future in the profession?

November 2025

Nurses show up for picketing colleagues as NZNO work-to-rule strike wraps

By Mary Longmore and Renee Kiriona

November 28, 2025

More than 40 per cent of requests to NZNO members to provide life-preserving services (LPS) were turned down as not legitimate, stats reveal, as the two-week work-to-rule strike ends.

November 2025

‘The cracks are showing’ — dangerous staffing practices exposed by current strike, says ED nurse

By Rachel Thorn

November 27, 2025

Whangārei Hospital emergency nurse and NZNO delegate Rachel Thorn shares her thoughts on the current work-to-rule strike, as it draws to a close.

October 2025

‘This isn’t just a job, it is heartbreak on repeat’

By Latisha Coffey

October 31, 2025

Wellington nurse Latisha Coffey has her own insight into why nurses have been on strike.

October 2025

‘Shoulder to shoulder’ — nurses prepare ahead of historic 100,000-strong day of actions

By Joel Maxwell

October 22, 2025

How do you prepare a rally speech for a day when nearly two per cent of the population of Aotearoa strikes?

October 2025

‘It will be massive! ‘ Nurses, kaiāwhina vote to strike on October 23

By Mary Longmore

October 3, 2025

Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand nurses and kaiāwhina have voted for further strike action on October 23.

August 2025

Tale of two weekends: Nurses mull more strikes for safe staffing as PM says health system ‘fixed’

By Joel Maxwell

August 7, 2025

One weekend, but two systems, two worlds — and now potentially two days of strikes.

July 2025

‘Just the beginning’, say fed-up nurses and kaiāwhina as 24-hour strike wraps

By Mary Longmore

July 31, 2025

After tens of thousands of nurses, midwives and health-care assistants hit the picket lines, members warn more strikes are coming.

July 2025

‘Solidarity means standing together’ — delegate calls on members to stick together on strike day

By Troy Stewart

July 18, 2025

As Te Whatu Ora prepare to go on a nationwide 24-hour strike at the end of this month over stalled bargaining talks, Auckland delegate Troy Stewart explains why it’s important everyone takes part.

June 2025

‘They’re crushing us’ — perioperative nurses take to the picket line

By Mary Longmore

June 25, 2025

More than a 100 perioperative nurses, health-care assistants (HCAs) and hospital colleagues and supporters turned out onto the streets outside Whangārei Hospital yesterday in a 12-hour rolling strike.

June 2025

Perioperative nurses in Whangārei to strike over unsafe staffing

By Kaitiaki coeditors

June 23, 2025

About 100 NZNO perioperative nurses and health-care assistants (HCAs) at Whangārei Hospital are set to strike tomorrow over what they say are chronic and ongoing staff shortages.

June 2025

Back to the table — members call on Te Whatu Ora to make a better offer

By Mary Longmore

June 16, 2025

Thousands of nurses, midwives and kaiāwhina around the country have called on Te Whatu Ora to make them a better offer — or face strike action.

May 2025

‘Time to get noisy’ — Auckland nurse explains why he voted down Te Whatu Ora’s offer

By Troy Stewart

May 30, 2025

This Government knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing, says NZNO delegate Troy Stewart.

November 2024

Nurses and kaiāwhina vote to strike before Christmas

By Mary Longmore

November 18, 2024

Unhappy with Te Whatu Ora’s bargaining position, nurses and kaiāwhina have voted strongly to hold an eight-hour nationwide strike on December 3 followed by rolling district strikes.

September 2024

Wellington aged-care residents and staff win ‘faint concession’ after picket, petition

By Mary Longmore

August 13, 2024

Wellington aged-care facility Village at the Park has shaved 42 hours off proposed nursing and caregiving cutbacks, after residents rallied behind staff with a picket and petition.

August 2024

Extra buck an hour offer ‘insulting’, say community nurses as they go back out on strike

By Mary Longmore

August 5, 2024

Community nurses say they are “disgusted” with a pay offer of one more dollar an hour from their employer, Access Community Health.

August 2024

‘We work just as hard’ — community nurses strike for the same pay as hospitals

By Mary Longmore

July 16, 2024

About 150 Access Community Health nursing staff went on strike around the country on this week, demanding the same pay and conditions as their Te Whatu Ora colleagues.

November 2023

‘Without us, there’s nothing’ — more strikes considered by telehealth nurses

By Mary Longmore

October 19, 2023

Telehealth nurses from crisis services like Healthline, ambulance triaging and 111 mental health response are considering two more strikes after rejecting the latest pay offer from employer Whakarongorau, which they say doesn’t reflect their value.

September 2023

Nurses turn out for striking senior doctors

By Mary Longmore

September 6, 2023

‘Here come the nurses!’ was the appreciative cry from senior doctors striking outside Wellington Hospital yesterday as Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa — NZNO members spilled off the Newtown bus and took their place on the picket line beside their colleagues.

Daily doses – uncut news

24 Apr	“The 80s Calling”: New national campaign challenges outdated HIV stigma Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey today launched Health New Zealand’s “The 80s Calling”; a provocative new campaign designed to reduce stigma, normalise conversations about HIV, and support people living with HIV.
23 Apr	Government’s attack on Māori health raised at the UN Concerns over the Coalition Government’s active reversal of policies designed to improve Māori health outcomes were raised at the United Nations in New York this morning.
16 Apr	Tribute to Professor Lester Levy’s service to healthcare Health New Zealand Chief Executive Dr Dale Bramley is paying tribute to Health NZ Board Chair Professor Lester Levy, who finishes in the role at the end of the month.
10 Apr	Chronic health care assistant short staffing harming vulnerable patients Te Whatu Ora’s attempt to cut costs by requiring health care assistants to carry out cohort patient watches is harming vulnerable patients and staff, NZNO says.
9 Apr	New group education clinics speeding up knee and hip surgery care Health New Zealand is rolling out a new group education approach for people waiting for hip and knee surgery in north and west Auckland, resulting in more patients being seen sooner.
25 Mar	National Diabetes Roadmap launched to improve care, prevention, and quality of life Health New Zealand has launched a new National Diabetes Roadmap (‘the Roadmap’) to improve care, strengthen prevention, and support better health outcomes and quality of life for people living with diabetes.
24 Mar	ACT should leave nursing to professionals and medical evidence Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says ACT MP Todd Stephenson has dismissed the Nursing Council’s draft code of conduct - which proposes strengthening cultural safety, whānau-centred care and te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations - as political ideology.
23 Mar	UK report reflects ICN warnings on international recruitment ripoff — now countries must act together The International Council of Nurses (ICN) warmly welcomes a new report from the UK All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Global Health and Security that recognizes the huge sums saved by high-income countries who recruit abroad and acknowledges the severe harms caused by unethical recruitment from fragile source countries left without nurses.
20 Mar	HPV self-test boosts cervical cancer screening ‘across the board’, new study confirms Making human papillomavirus (HPV) self-testing available to all women increases the number of people screened for cervical cancer, a new study led by researchers from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington has confirmed.
19 Mar	ICN at CSW70: Violence against nurses is a gendered crisis threatening global health The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has warned that violence against nurses is a global gendered crisis that threatens health systems, patient safety and workforce sustainability
17 Mar	Additional winter health care workers a drop in the ocean of need The Government’s announcement today of 378 extra staff to help hospitals cope with winter demand is a drop in the ocean of what patients need, NZNO says.
12 Mar	Funding change will ensure more consistent emergency care for New Zealanders A simple change in how ambulance medicines are funded is set to create more consistent emergency care.
9 Mar	Questions over dilapidated and cramped renal unit forced to ration dialysis The Health Minister must explain why after years of concerns from nurses about Christchurch Hospital’s barely functioning dialysis unit, he only stepped in late yesterday when life-saving treatment had to be rationed, NZNO says.
3 Mar	Hospitals and health workers should never be targets The right of health care workers to provide care during international conflicts must be protected, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says.
2 Mar	Public and Mental Health Nurses settle collective agreement Health New Zealand welcomes the ratification of the two Public Service Association (PSA) Public and Mental Health Nurses collective employment agreements for Auckland and the Rest of New Zealand.
27 Feb	Whakatāne Hospital to resume secondary obstetrics and gynaecology services Whakatāne Hospital will resume secondary obstetrics and gynaecology services from 8am on 13 April 2026.
26 Feb	Counsellors warn NZ is normalising crisis levels of youth distress Youth mental distress has become entrenched, suicide remains a national tragedy, and our systems are failing to intervene early enough, says the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC).
26 Feb	Record uptake nearly doubles advanced nurse education scholarships A record 235 primary care registered nurses will begin advanced education this year – nearly doubling the number originally planned – following strong demand for the Government’s new Registered Nurse Primary Care Scholarships, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
19 Feb	‘Top Up’ to deliver faster access to support Seven grassroots mental health initiatives supporting small and hard-to-reach communities have received funding to deliver faster access to support, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced today.
18 Feb	Pharmac proposes funding new treatments that could transform early care for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, a type of blood cancer People in New Zealand living with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) could soon benefit from funded access to targeted treatments under a new proposal from Pharmac.
13 Feb	Te Whatu Ora’s embarrassing U-turn over proposed car park plan Te Whatu Ora needs to go back to the drawing board and prioritise worker safety after reversing plans to charge hospital workers market rates for car parks, NZNO says.
11 Feb	Stark differences in COVID-19 vaccination rates between Māori and non-Māori, research finds A new study analysing COVID-19 vaccine uptake has found markedly lower vaccination rates among Māori, which researchers link to existing inequities in healthcare access.
9 Feb	ICN’s call for International Nurses Day 2026: empower nurses to save lives ICN has announced the theme for International Nurses Day (IND) 2026: Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives. This focus sends a clear message that to maximize the full life-saving impact of the nursing workforce, we must empower nurses with safe, fair work environments and full nursing practice, influence, and leadership.
5 Feb	Global nurse leaders gather in Japan to address urgent workforce crisis Nursing leaders from Japan and around the world are gathering in Yokohama this week for two major nursing events that are advancing the global conversation on how countries can protect, retain and invest in their nursing workforce as pressures mount across health systems worldwide.
4 Feb	Midwives to deliver more vaccinations to help protect families Midwives are now able to offer a wider range of funded immunisations, supporting families from pregnancy through the early months of a child’s life, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
30 Jan	Opening of E Tū Wairua Hinengaro – Mason Clinic Health New Zealand has marked the opening of E Tū Wairua Hinengaro, a new purpose-built facility at Auckland’s Mason Clinic designed to strengthen and modernise forensic mental healthcare in Aotearoa.
29 Jan	NZNO disgusted by nurse’s killing in the US Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO has expressed disgust at the shooting and killing of nurse Alex Pretti on a Minneapolis, US street on Saturday morning by federal officers.
27 Jan	New national group forms to support public healthcare in Aotearoa Kaitiaki Hauora - Together for Public Health has been formed as a national group bringing together patients, health workers, iwi and Māori health representatives, unions, advocacy organisations, and community groups, with backing from a growing number of organisations across the health sector.
22 Jan	Pharmac proposes to fund life changing treatments for people with cystic fibrosis Pharmac is proposing to fund new treatment options for people living with cystic fibrosis with eligible mutations, including young children, from 1 April 2026.
05 Jan	Nurses pay tribute to Dame Poutasi The passing of Dame Karen Poutasi has seen Aotearoa lose one of its foremost health leaders and a woman of high integrity, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says.