Safe Staffing Strikes

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Te Whatu Ora members are committed to achieving the goals raised in bargaining around enforceable safe staffing and patient safety as well as pay increases that don’t mean a pay cut. Following 23 October's historic strike action and building on national strikes in July and September and waves of local action, it is essential we maintain our momentum. 

Safe Staffing Strikes, 17-30 November 2025 

NZNO members at Te Whatu Ora have voted strongly in favour of Safe Staffing strikes between 17-30 November.

These national Safe Staffing strikes will occur at every place in New Zealand where Te Whatu Ora provides health services and/or disability support services.

Patients, workers and whānau are paying  the price for hospitals that are understaffed and under-resourced.  NZNO members at Te Whatu Ora participating in Safe Staffing Strikes in November will highlight and expose chronic understaffing in our health system. These Safe Staffing Strikes will consist of three related partial strikes and are explained in more detail below. 

NZNO members know our health system is in crisis, and Te Whatu Ora is increasingly relying on nurses, midwives and HCAs to cover up chronic short staffing. This is often done by taking members away from their patients to fill roster gaps in other parts of hospitals caused by preventable staffing shortfalls.  

In taking these actions, NZNO members will be focusing on patient safety, providing care for the patients in their area of work for the full two weeks of the partial strikes; and focusing on their own wellbeing, by further refusing to work additional hours during the action. 

Safe Staffing Strikes: refusal on redeployment and working additional hours 

Members regularly face redeployment, even when your work area is busy and you are already struggling to provide quality care. Strikes on redeployment and additional hours will highlight chronic understaffing in our health system by limiting Te Whatu Ora’s ability to redeploy members and rely upon you to work additional hours to fill the staffing shortfall. 

This is your opportunity to say enough is enough by voting on taking the following actions occurring between 17 and 30 November: 

  • Members will stand by their patients and refuse redeployment.   
  • Members will also stand together and refuse to work additional hours or shifts. 
  • Finally, for one week, members will strike by refusing to agree to changes to their roster proposed by Te Whatu Ora 

Because these are partial strikes, you will continue to be paid as you work. Therefore, members should expect this action to carry less financial pressure than previous strikes. 

Between 24 and 30 November, if a member wants to change their roster, it will be on their terms. No more covering for Te Whatu Ora’s refusal to hire enough staff.  

Te Whatu Ora may attempt to make a 10% partial deduction from your wages during the two weeks of the strikes. Te Whatu Ora tried this when a group of members carried out a partial strike recently. NZNO was successful in getting a court to stop a partial deduction. While the final hearing on this isn't until next year, any further attempt by Te Whatu Ora to make a partial deduction will be met with a legal challenge from NZNO. 

The decision to strike will be made democratically by union members affected by the strike notice. 

All NZNO members in roles covered by the relevant strike notice have the legal right to strike. This includes NZNO members on a work visa. If you hear about any member’s visa being threatened because they plan to take strike action, please contact NZNO to report this. 

PLEASE NOTE: Members who have joined NZNO after the strike notice has been issued, but before the strike has begun, are entitled to take part in the strike action.

Safe Staffing Strikes FAQs

  • What are the proposed strike actions? 
    The proposed strikes are partial strikes, where members will continue to perform most of the work they are employed to do. There are three connected strikes, which will together highlight understaffing. These strikes are:  
    A strike refusing redeployment from your normal work area or duties.
    There will be another strike occurring at the same time where members will refuse to work additional shifts or hours of work in excess of your roster.
    Finally, for one week, members will strike by refusing to agree to changes to their roster proposed by Te Whatu Ora. 

    Read the member email with links to the Safe Staffing strike notices here.

  • How will the redeployment strike work? 
    The redeployment strike will mean refusing to change your work from your usual area of work and your duties. A good way to think about this is that your roster sets out your area of work and your duties. In other words, your roster sets out your deployment. Redeployment occurs when your duties, or the place you perform your duties changes. This will not look the same for all roles or situations. Here are some examples: 
    1. A Registered Nurse is rostered to work in their ward. If they were to be asked to work in another ward that would be redeployment to another area and covered by the strike. 
    2. A Nurse Educator who works across the hospital, organising or providing education is asked to provide direct patient care. That would be redeployment to other duties and be covered by the strike. 
    3. A Registered Nurse who works casually is asked to work a shift in a particular ward. That initial employment would not be redeployment, but if they were subsequently asked to work in a different ward on the same shift, that would be redeployment and covered by the strike. 
    4. A Health Care Assistant who is rostered to work in their ward is asked to perform patient attendant work in another ward. That would be redeployment to another area and covered by the strike. 
    5. A Nurse Specialist working in the Patient at Risk team is asked to work around the hospital, performing their normal duties. This would not be redeployment as it does not change their duties or area of work. However, if the Nurse Specialist was asked to perform duties not normally part of their work, or to fill a gap in staffing for a particular area, this would be redeployment and covered by the strike. 
  • How does the additional hours strike work? 
    The additional hours strike is connected to your rostered hours, not your contracted hours. Te Whatu Ora is required to post your roster at least 28 days in advance. That means Te Whatu Ora must have posted your roster for the period of the strike in order to comply with your collective agreement. Work in excess of these shifts and hours is covered by the strike.  

  • How does the strike on changes in rosters requested by the employer work? 
    Under your collective agreement, Te Whatu Ora requires your agreement to change your roster. During the strike, you will refuse these requests, however, you may propose to make your own changes.  
  • At my hospital the operating theatres run one roster sheet which covers two work areas. Staff are rostered in either work area depending on planned leave.  Nurses can be changed at short notice to cover unplanned leave on the day (sick leave etc).   The roster is planned to cover both work areas and written and published at the same time. Will this be considered two departments or one during the planned partial strike times?  
    The strike stops redeployment from the roster. If the roster allows movement across two work areas, that would continue. As a note, this strike will impact areas differently, but as a whole will impact Te Whatu Ora.

  • Why is strike action effective? 
    Strike action is the most powerful tool union members have to make change. This is because strike action economically impacts the employer, politically impacts the Government and creates high levels of visibility. The greater the levels of participation by affected workers in strike action, the more impactful and powerful it is. 

  • Who can go on strike? 
    NZNO members in roles covered by the relevant strike notice have the legal right to strike. This includes being covered by the relevant collective agreement. Check the strike notice to confirm it applies to your role. 
     
    Members who have joined NZNO after the strike notice has been issued, but before the strike has begun, are entitled to take part in the strike action. 
  • Who makes the decision to go on strike? 
    NZNO members who work in areas covered by the strike notice vote in a secret ballot.  

  • Do I have to go on strike if I voted not to strike? 
    All NZNO members covered by the strike notice are expected to abide by the democratic decision of the majority and participate in the strike. Our Constitution states that all NZNO members have the obligation to “not undermine the majority decision of directly affected members to take industrial action if not supporting that action themselves”. However, you cannot be forced to strike.  

  • Can I take strike action if I am on a work visa? 
    Yes, you can strike and are encouraged to do so if you’re an NZNO member. If you hear about any member’s visa being threatened, please contact NZNO to report this and seek support.  

  • Can workers be suspended for going on strike? 
    Technically yes, but in reality a suspension for striking is meaningless for a striking worker. It is not what you would normally consider a suspension, e.g., a suspension for disciplinary purposes. The suspension comes to an end automatically (by law) at the end of the strike with no ongoing consequences. Don't let yourself feel intimidated by a suspension notice. 
      
  • Are charge nurses/ senior staff expected to strike? My charge nurse has said she cannot strike. 
    All members covered by the proposed coverage clause of the strike notice should take part in the strike unless they are providing life preserving services set out in the LPS agreement. The proposed strikes include designated senior nurses and midwives.  
     
  • I’m a student and want to take part but the nursing school has said no - what are my rights? 
    If you have student membership with NZNO and are not otherwise employed where the strike is taking place then the strike notice doesn’t apply to you. However, you are free (and encouraged!) to support strike actions and pickets in your own time. 
     
  • If I have to work because I cannot afford to strike, will I get paid? Am I required to still strike if I can’t afford it? 
    All NZNO members covered by the relevant strike notice are expected to go on strike. NZNO has a financial hardship fund which members can access. Details about this fund and how to access it can be found here. There is also the option of covering Life Preserving Services on the day. 

 

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