Allied Health Workers Vote To Strike - Govt Must Stop Ignoring Our Concerns

More than 11,500 Allied Health workers have voted overwhelmingly to strike after mediation on Monday failed to deliver a better deal that recognises the need for safe staffing levels and cost of living pressures.

Workers will stop work for four hours from 1pm to 5pm on 28 November. They will work to rule in the week before and after the strike by taking regular breaks and not working unpaid overtime.

"Allied Health workers are fed up with Health NZ Te Whatu Ora and the Government. They've been bargaining since June, they went on strike in October, they attended mediation on Monday - and they're still not being listened to," said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

"These are critical health workers - physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, scientists, anaesthetic technicians, Māori health specialists and many more - who often work long hours, through their breaks and beyond their normal working day caring for New Zealanders."

At mediation on Monday there was no increase proposed to the 2% and 1.5% pay increases offered for 2025 and 2026. There was also no pay increase for 2027.

"The pay offer still doesn't keep pace with inflation - it's effectively a pay cut. Meanwhile, there are simply not enough health workers to provide the level of care New Zealanders need.

"They don't want to strike. They care deeply about their patients and will ensure life preserving services continue. But they feel they have no choice when their concerns keep falling on deaf ears."

"These health workers need to once again send a strong message to the Government: value us, listen to us, and address the staffing crisis that's compromising patient care across the country."

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