Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa — NZNO speakers at the latest hearing were kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku, president Anne Daniels and senior pay equity lead Glenda Alexander.
Nuku said Māori nurses had been involved in the pay equity battle for longer than other nurses.
“Because the rights of Māori women and Māori nurses have been completely undermined within the health system.”
Daniels said the decision to axe pay equity claims would drag women back into the Dark Ages.
Read this story in te reo Māori here.
“The impetus for these changes was to save billions of dollars on the backs of women.”
At a glance
- In May the Government announced it was introducing legislation under urgency that would axe the 33 pay equity claims under negotiation.
- Any claims would have to be lodged again under strict new criteria.
- The changes, which set 12 NZNO claims back to zero, saved the Government $12.8 billion for its Budget 2025.
- On Friday NZNO is joining a group of unions in a High Court challenge to the Government’s legislation — arguing it’s out of step with human rights laws.
Previously, NZNO joined a multi-union oral submission on axed care and support workers’ claims, made to the people’s select committee — set up to allow consultation on the Government’s surprise law changes.