New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) raised a Pay Equity claim on behalf of its members in August 2017 as part of its DHB (now Te Whatu Ora) MECA bargaining. The NZNO MECA coverage clause, and therefore the original Pay Equity claim, included nurses, midwives, and health care assistants.

The claim was accepted as arguable by the employers through the MECA bargaining, which means the employer agreed there could be historic or current, gender-based undervaluation of the work.

NZNO, MERAS and the employers worked on a pay equity settlement. In October employees covered by the Midwifery Pay Equity claim voted to accept the proposed settlement. 

This is a major milestone in the history of midwifery in Aotearoa New Zealand and is a long overdue step towards addressing a significant gender-based inequality midwives face in their work every day. But it is also just a beginning, and we look forward to working with Te Whatu Ora to continue addressing all the gender-based discriminations midwives, nurses, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora face.

• Read the NZNO-Te Whatu Ora Collective Agreement (31 March 2023-31 October 2024)
• View the signed settlement (20 October 2023) here.
• View the presentation about the proposed settlement (September 2023) here.
• Details of the advance payment (June 2023) can be found here.
• Read the NZNO Midwifery Pay Equity Claim Timeline and FAQs.

Midwifery Pay Equity Claim updates

6 October 2023 - Midwives vote to accept Pay Equity

20 September 2023 - Midwifery Pay Equity meetings

15 September 2023 - Midwifery Pay Equity settlement

6 July 2023 – Midwives Pay Equity ballot result 

19 June 2023 – Interim Midwifery Pay Equity settlement

6 June 2023 – Midwives MOU on interim Pay Equity pay rates

5 May 2023 – Express your thoughts about interim Pay Equity payment delays

24 April 2023 – Midwifery Pay Equity proposed interim payment

14 April 2023 – International Day of the Midwife 

3 March 2023 – Progressing your Midwifery Pay Equity Claim

24 February 2023 – Member newsletter Midwifery Pay Equity Update

10 February 2023 – Progressing your Midwifery Pay Equity Claim

9 December 2022 – Midwifery Pay Equity Update

12 August 2022 – Midwifery Pay Equity negotiations

15 June 2022 – Update on Pay Equity mediation