“We are not giving up.”
“We are not going to stop.”
“We are not going to go away.”
At Parliament, in the Wellington rain on Monday, the message was profoundly clear — from nurses, from aged-care workers and from the unions representing some of the largest women-led workforces in the country. As far as pay equity is concerned — it ain’t over.
Speaking at the PSA-NZNO pay equity rally, Wellington hospice nurse Anna Garton said it was devastating when the hospice nurses’ nearly-completed pay equity claim was dumped “overnight”. But “we are not giving up”, she told a wet but enthusiastic crowd.
“The process is harder now. But we are continuing because this work matters and because our communities deserve a health system that values the people who care for them.”
‘The workforce providing that care has been undervalued for decades.’
Hospice nurses and kaiāwhina cared for people at “one of the most profound” times of their lives, Garton said.
“Hospice care is about dignity, it’s about compassion — it’s about making sure people are cared for with respect at the end of their lives. It’s a privilege to do this work. But the workforce providing that care has been undervalued for decades.”
PSA aged-care worker Kate Halsall said she was gutted by the sudden amendments — and the “secrets and lies” that preceded it.
“I wish this Government could see how working women are giving their all for low wages,” she told a wet but enthusiastic crowd.
‘It’s downright shameful to give out hope . . . and play with people’s lives.’
Instead of being able to pay their bills, she and fellow workers were forced to use After-pay to keep on top of living costs.
“It’s downright shameful to give out hope . . . and play with people’s lives.”
Labour spokesperson for workplace relations and safety Jan Tinetti said Labour had already committed to reversing the 2025 pay equity amendments — “that’s a promise” — but was now working through the People’s Select Committee report released last week.
“We’ve given our commitment and we will hold that commitment,” she told the rally. “We know we can make it better.”
Labour has so far not confirmed how much it would pay to restore pay equity — revealed at last year’s Budget to be $12.8 billion. Leader Chris Hipkins has questioned the figure.
‘We can’t afford billionaires — but we absolutely can afford to have people able to have enough to eat.’
Speaking at the rally, Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter said 2020 amendments to the 1972 Equal Pay Act under Labour and the Greens had created “world-leading” legislation to address long-standing inequities in women-led workforces.
That had all now been unraveled by the Coalition Government — but “we will get it back”, said Genter, who was Minister for Women in 2020.
“You deserve to be paid better and we can afford to pay you better,” she told the rally.
“We can’t afford billionaires — but we absolutely can afford to have people able to have enough to eat, to live in a decent home and to do the work that is the most important for our society to thrive.”
‘It’s all about solidarity and unions sticking up for each other.’
NZNO president Anne Daniels told Kaitiaki nurses and kaiāwhina wanted to see “action” not words from whoever was in Government.
“We are not going to go away,” she said. “We know Māori and Pacific women are a hell of a lot worse off under this Government and the lack of transparency for pay equity and we are standing here for them.”
‘We are not going to stop until we get it back.’
NZ Council of Trade Unions national secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges said one “silver lining” was the rise of people power in response — and this would not stop.
“Ultimately, what this is about is women in New Zealand who do essential work being paid every cent of what they deserve. And we will not stop until we achieve that,” she said.
“We’ve been fighting for this for decades, and we are not going to stop now.”
Unionists Lyndy McIntyre and Marion Edmonds told Kaitiaki the momentum to restore pay equity for women-led workforces was unstoppable.
“We are not going to stop until we get it back.”
Members of the NZ Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) who had been on strike nearby also joined the pay equity rally.
“It’s all about solidarity and unions sticking up for each other,” member Corey Fairbairn told Kaitiaki.
The Government’s shock dumping of 33 pay equity claims last year left hundreds of thousands of workers hanging — including hospice and Whānau Āwhina-Plunket nurses and kaiāwhina. Some claims were only weeks away from completion.
Community care and support workers must now wait till 2027 to review their historic 2017 pay equity settlement.
Still minding the gap
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa-NZNO also today launched a Still minding the gap campaign, where members can bill Prime Minister Christopher Luxon for wages lost due to gendered pay inequities.
- Women on the median wage lose $25.36 every week.
- For wāhine Māori it is $58.40 every week,
- For Pacific women it is $76.40 every week
