Teacher aides and librarians stood shoulder-to-shoulder with community support workers and nurses — all of whom are impacted by the coalition Government’s shock announcement on May 6 that it would scrap all existing 33 claims — and raise the bar for new ones.
NZNO delegate, Whānau Āwhina Plunket nurse Hannah Cook, said nurses and kaiāwhina were “the backbone of a caring society”.
‘I’m so pleased and proud the unions are taking this to court.’
The day the changes were announced, Cook said the whole team was “devastated”.
Since then, morale had been low and she knew of many nurses who had left the country and profession entirely.
“I’m so pleased and proud the unions are taking this to court,” said Cook, as the crowd chanted “shame”.
Wellington nurse Sarita Sharma said nurses were furious over the move — which also dismantled built-in reviews for existing pay equity settlements such as that received by Te Whatu Ora nurses in 2023.
“We need to fight — no-one will listen to us otherwise. We need to put our feet down!”
Another nurse, Deena Sebastian, said pay equity was so important for nurses and health workers.
“We all have to stand together in this fight.”
Community nurse Eileen Mcatee told Kaitiaki the move had been a “kick in the guts”.
NZNO president Anne Daniels said she wanted justice for women-dominated workforces like nursing.
“I’m pissed off our nurses have been fighting so long for the right to be seen as equals . . . these injustices done to women have to stop.”
‘My face was angered — and has been angered ever since.’
Among the 33 cancelled claims were 12 lodged by NZNO — solely or jointly with other unions. They included Whānau Āwhina Plunket, hospices, primary practice and urgent care nurses, aged-care nurses, Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa and laboratories.
PSA member Camella Ross said eight years after 2017’s $2 billion pay equity settlement for care and support workers, and despite years of work on a new claim, “it feels like we’re right back where we started”.
Teacher aide Ally Kingi said when she heard the news on May 6, she had to “take a moment”.
“One of the kids came up to me and said: ‘Whaea, your face looked angered’. My face was angered — and has been angered ever since’.”
Teacher aides settled a pay equity claim in 2020 but — like Te Whatu Ora workers — will no longer be able to review it to ensure it doesn’t fall behind comparable workforces led by men.
“We were just getting what was fair and it’s gone — just gone,” Kingi said. “All we can do is take the buggers to court,” she concluded.
‘My problem is I know I’m underpaid and so is everyone in my sector.’
University librarian Alex Cass said she loved her “interesting, varied and complex” job.
“My problem is I know I’m underpaid and so is everyone in my sector.”
“Secret” law changes undermined trust in society’s institutions and left no redress for “generations of wage theft”, Cass said.
PPTA support worker Jo Brunskill said workers were feeling “deflated” and unappreciated.
Five unions, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa – NZNO, the Public Service Association (PSA), Post-Primary Teachers Association – Te Wehengarua (PPTA) and NZEI Te Riu Roa (primary school teachers’ union) are mounting a joint legal challenge over the Government’s Equal Pay Act amendments.
The unions say the move breaches the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act in three ways: Freedom from gender-based pay discrimination, the right to natural justice and the right to fair legal process.
See also:
Pay equity fight headed to court – why, when, where and what even is pay equity?
‘We won’t back down’ — NZNO pushing ahead with 12 pay equity claims