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In only a few months, the unions, including Toputanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki о Aotearoa - NZNO, gathered nearly 94,000 signatures before handing them to Opposition parties on Parliament's steps on Wednesday. The petition called for a reversal of all cancellations, for law changes to be undone and for pay equity settlements to be delivered to every worker. Standing in the crowd watching the politicians speak was hospital registered nurse and NZNO delegate Sarita Sharma holding a Maranga Mai flag.

Primary and Community Health Association (PCHA) chair Steve Chadwick says New Zealand's struggling health system and nursing workforce have been dealt another significant blow by the mass dumping of 33 pay equity claims this month. The Government's fast-tracked changes to the Equal Pay Act 1972 and halting progress of any existing claims is a kick in the gut to the many nurses who work in primary and community health care. While the Government pinches money from community services, it will inevitably have to spend more money to prop up hospital services when people become very unwell. primary health nurses, health-care assistants (HCAs) and administrators, community nurses, Plunket nurses, hospice nurses and HCAs, aged-care nurses, sexual health nurses and laboratory nurses.

Early NZNO analysis suggests while this meets the health system's cost status quo, it does little to address safe staffing levels for the nursing workforce. \"Does the Government seriously believe the nursing shortage crisis has been solved?\" There was not even enough set aside for the Government to meet its own health targets for surgery wait times, cancer treatment and waiting times in ED. [...]we get pay equity sorted, the problem of overcrowded emergency departments will persist. Nor was there enough set aside for hauora Maori, given projected Maori population growth - perpetuating health inequities.

December 10, 2025 Nurses in grassroots health care have dished on pay rates, workloads and just how many of them have considered leaving the sector. [...]our wages in primary health are going to be lower for longer!\" Health Minister Simeon Brown might have said the Government was pouring money into the sector, but \"it doesn't trickle down to the nurses\". NZNO is part of a multi-union challenge in The High Court in Wellington against the Government's pay equity changes.

\"When I started it was really clear that .8 was considered fulltime because of the strain of the work and intensity of the work, and the recognised need for self-care\" Because of the challenging nature of the work, real attention needed to be paid to keeping specialist nurses in the sector, she said. According to Statistics NZ, the number of people in Aotearoa aged over 65 will likely hit 1 million by 2028. In August NZNO was one of five unions launching a High Court legal challenge to the pay equity law changes, arguing they breached members' rights.