New Zealand Nurse Organisation Strikes w/ NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku: 3 September 2025

This week, more than 36,000 Nurses Organisation members will be going on strike following months of failed negotiations with Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand.

The ongoing concerns amongst striking nurses are nurse wages and understaffing in hospitals across Aotearoa.

Health Minister Simeon Brown directly condemned NZNO’s decision to organise this strikes this week, saying that the strikes would delay more than 13,000 elective surgeries and appointments. However, NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku and other nurses joining the strike said that the health minister’s comments were out of touch with the situation on the ground for nurses, that understaffing was putting both nurse and patient health at risk and that both Simeon Brown and Health NZ had neglected nurse needs and their calls for proportionate wage increases for some time.

Wednesday Wire Host Oto spike to Nuku about this topic.