WELLINGTON, New Zealand — An estimated 100,000 nurses, teachers, and public sector workers across New Zealand walked off the job on Thursday in one of the country’s largest-ever coordinated strikes, demanding better pay, working conditions, and government funding for critical public services.
The so-called “mega strike” brought together more than 60,000 teachers, 40,000 nurses and medical specialists, and 15,000 civil servants, uniting multiple unions in a rare show of solidarity across sectors.
Despite severe weather forcing the cancellation of some rallies in Wellington and other regions, tens of thousands of workers gathered nationwide, carrying placards and chanting for fair treatment and investment in essential services.
“Patients should not have to be harmed, or die, before things improve,” said Becks Kelsey, a nurse who addressed protesters in Auckland. “We demand the government invests in the very fabric of our community, not cut the threads that hold it together.”
Teachers also voiced frustration over deteriorating working conditions and stagnant pay. “Educators are leaving the profession and the country they love because they no longer feel valued,” said Paul Stevens, a secondary school teacher. “We need our politicians to acknowledge that they have starved our essential services for years.”
Union members voted overwhelmingly to strike after months of stalled collective bargaining with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s coalition government.
While each sector has distinct demands, their grievances echo one another: unsafe staffing levels, low pay, limited resources, and increasing burnout among essential workers.
In Hawke’s Bay, nurse Noreen McCallan said staff shortages were pushing hospitals to the breaking point. “We fear for the safety of our patients. Our wards are overwhelmed, and patients are waiting longer because we simply can’t reach them fast enough,” she said.
Liam Rutherford, a teacher in Palmerston North, called for “serious investment in education, not just tinkering around the edges,” adding that the government’s current offer would do little to attract or retain teachers, especially as many are migrating to Australia for better pay.
New Zealand’s health and education systems have come under increasing strain, with hospitals warning of “catastrophic failures” due to overcapacity and schools facing critical staff shortages.
At the same time, government austerity measures have cut public service funding, cancelled pay equity negotiations, and left frontline workers feeling sidelined.
The Luxon administration has taken a combative stance toward the strike. The prime minister dismissed the action as “politically motivated,” while Public Service Minister Judith Collins labeled it “a stunt”, accusing unions of putting patients and children at risk. “The government is at the table with offers, while the unions are out on the streets with megaphones,” she said.
Nevertheless, public support remains strong. A Talbot Mills poll found that 65 p.c of New Zealanders back the strike, including nearly half of voters who supported the ruling coalition.
Opposition leader Chris Hipkins of the Labour Party backed the protesters, blaming the government for what he described as worsening conditions in health and education.
“Luxon is out of touch and making our systems worse,” he said. “He has prioritized pay rises for boardroom directors and handouts to tobacco companies instead of investing in the services we all rely on.”
While Thursday’s mass action disrupted schools and delayed non-essential hospital services, union leaders said the strike was a message of urgency, not defiance — a call for a government that values the workers who hold the nation’s core institutions together.
As one banner at the Auckland rally read: “Without us, the system collapses.”
