It’s time to take our strikes seriously.
The membership has spoken, loud and clear and now we need to honour that decision with unity and resolve.
We can’t afford to have our Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa — NZNO members crossing the picket line.
Striking means withdrawing our labour. That’s not just a personal act, it’s a powerful collective statement.
Solidarity means standing together even when it’s inconvenient, even when it’s hard, because we know the stakes are bigger than any one of us.
When anyone works above the life-preserving services (LPS) roster or ignores strike action, as happened late last year, it undermines all of us. It sends a message to Te Whatu Ora and the Government that they don’t need to address our demands.
But when we hold the line together, we show them that our workforce is united, disciplined and determined. That is what forces change.
Being in a union means believing in solidarity. Solidarity means standing together even when it’s inconvenient, even when it’s hard, because we know the stakes are bigger than any one of us.
When someone crosses the picket line, they are not just making a personal decision — they are weakening the pressure we’ve spent months building. They are hurting the cause we are all fighting for.
We’re striking for the future of the nursing profession. For safe staffing. For decent pay. For the ability to do our jobs without burnout, without moral injury, and without constantly apologising to patients for a system that has failed them.
These strikes aren’t just about renewing our employment agreement. They are about saying clearly: this crisis in health cannot continue.
Safe staffing can’t wait. Pay that keeps up with inflation can’t wait. We are not just defending what we’ve won through pay equity, we’re protecting the very viability of our profession.
‘Disrespect’
Crossing a picket line also disrespects the sacrifices others are making. Many members will be losing pay to strike. They are doing it because they believe it is the only path to real change. Crossing the line undermines that sacrifice, while taking advantage of the benefits those strikes are trying to achieve. That’s not fairness. That’s not solidarity.
Around the world and across history, working people have stood on picket lines to win weekends, fair wages, safe conditions and dignity on the job. Those victories weren’t handed down by kind employers or governments. They were fought for and won solidarity.
We need everyone in. Not on the sidelines. Not indifferent.
This is not a typical bargaining campaign. This is a turning point. A test of how far we are willing to go to protect our future and the future of public health care in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
We need everyone in. Not on the sidelines. Not indifferent. We are the union, and our union is only as strong as the members who show up for each other.
If you’re unsure how to participate, or if you need support to be able to strike, reach out to your local NZNO delegate or organiser — if you don’t know who they are, call NZNO 0800 28 38 48 or email [email protected].
‘No-one left behind’
We will find a way forward together. No one gets left behind. Even if you didn’t vote for strike action, the majority did. That’s what union democracy looks like. Our power comes from numbers. Undermining that weakens all of us.
There was a time when working people knew that crossing a picket line was one of the most damaging things a worker could do to their colleagues. Let’s bring that understanding back — not to shame people, but to invite them back into the movement.
This is a fight worth showing up for. If someone is working above the LPS roster, talk to them. Encourage them to stand with us.
Let’s rise to this moment and show what collective strength looks like. For ourselves. For each other. For our patients. For our profession.
–– Troy Stewart is an NZNO delegate and Auckland nurse.
See also: Time to get noisy — Auckland nurse explains why he voted down Te Whatu Ora’s offer.