Porirua’s schools and healthcare services are set to be heavily disrupted this Thursday, 23 October, as thousands of public sector workers join a nationwide strike calling for better pay and working conditions.
More than 100,000 teachers, nurses, senior doctors, dentists, and other health professionals are expected to walk off the job. The strike is being called one of the largest in Aotearoa in over 40 years.
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO), New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI), Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA), and several other unions are coordinating the action. Nurses will strike from 11am to 3pm, while tens of thousands of teachers are expected to strike for the full day.
Debbie Handisides, a bargaining team member for NZNO, said the action reflects the high level of frustration among health workers. “The coalition government is totally out of touch and refusing to listen,” she said. “It puts the safety of our patients at risk.”
Marches and rallies are being organised throughout the country, including a major protest to Parliament in Wellington at 1pm.
Health NZ has warned that more than 900 procedures and over 1,300 specialist appointments will be cancelled. Emergency departments will remain open but are expected to face delays.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has criticised the strike, calling it “a shame,” while Education Minister Erica Stanford voiced concern about the timing ahead of NCEA exams.