This page is for PSA members covered by the Health New Zealand I Te Whatu Ora and PSA Home Care Support Workers West Coast I Te Tai Poutini District collective bargaining . On this page, you’ll find the latest information about the strike, and FAQs.
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We are striking on Thursday 23 October You have voted overwhelmingly to reject Health NZ’s latest offer and to fully withdraw your labour in support of your claims for better pay and training.
The strike will run from 12pm (midday) to 2pm on Thursday 23 October.
This will tell the employer that we will not accept a pay offer below the cost of living, or Health NZ’s inadequate response to our claims for the training we need to keep ourselves safe. It will also send a powerful message to the Government, whose failure to adequately fund the public health system has a direct bearing on Health NZ’s offers.
We will not be standing alone. On Thursday 23 October, other PSA members, and unions representing nurses and teachers, will strike in support of their own bargaining.
Paid stop work meetings on Monday 13 October We will also be holding paid stop work meetings for two hours on Monday 13 October 2025 in:
Hokitika – 8.30am
Greymouth – 8.30am
Westport – 8.30am
To allow for travel to and from the meetings, the meeting will be for 1 hour from 8.30am. It is vitally important that PSA members attend these. Your employer will clear rosters to help ensure you can attend.
Picket and rally information See below for details of pickets and rallies for the day of the strike.
9am – Meet in New World carpark, Hokitika
11-11.30am – Meet at The Warehouse in Greymouth
12pm – Speeches in Greymouth Town Square
1.30pm – Picket in Westport. Meet in Victoria Square, cnr Lyndhurst & Russell
2.30pm – Picket finishes
We’ll post any updates on this page and our social media.
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Your delegates and organisers are negotiating Life Preserving Services An important part of preparing for the strike is negotiating Life Preserving Services (LPS) with Health NZ. Because the work you do is so vital to patients in the public health system, we as a union and Health NZ will negotiate on the provision of LPS.
Organisers will be working in each district with delegates to ensure we meet our LPS obligations. We have organised training for our delegates in preparation of this. LPS is managed by the PSA and Health NZ and not by individual members. If your employer approaches you directly about providing LPS, please advise your delegate or organiser.
Stronger Together – invite colleagues to join PSA It is more important than ever that we stand united and fight for a fully funded public health service. If you know of colleagues who are not yet members, invite them to join by sharing this link:
psa.org.nz/join
Check back here for posters, flyers, and other resources We’ll upload posters, flyers, signs, and more, for you to use to spread the word about the strikes.
FAQs If these FAQs don’t answer your question, contact your local delegate, your PSA organiser, or Te Roopu Tohutohu Manaaki (free phone 0508 367 772).
What strike action have members voted to take?
PSA members covered by bargaining for the Health New Zealand I Te Whatu Ora and PSA Home Care Support Workers West Coast I Te Tai Poutini District Collective Agreement have voted by an overwhelming majority to take strike action.
This means undertaking a complete withdrawal of labour from noon to 2pm on Thursday 23rd October 2025.
Whose responsibility is it to tell the employer that we are on strike?
The PSA will notify the employer of the strikes. Once notified, your employer should not be approaching you to ask if you are striking. Please let us know if you hear of this taking place.
Who can strike?
Only PSA members who are covered by the Health New Zealand I Te Whatu Ora and PSA Home Care Support Workers West Coast I Te Tai Poutini District Collective Agreement bargaining can lawfully take this strike action.
If I joined the PSA after the employer was notified of the strike, can I take part in this strike action?
No. Only those workers who were members of the PSA before we issued the notice of strike action to the employer can take part in the Thursday 23 October strike action.
If you have joined the PSA after we issued the notice of strike action to the employer, you should contact your local PSA organiser and volunteer to work by providing Life Preserving Services (LPS) so that other members can participate in the strike. (See questions on LPS below).
If you joined the PSA before the union gave notice of strike action, you will be able to take part in the strike on 23 October.
Can I be disciplined for striking lawfully?
No. Your right to strike is enshrined in law and is a fundamental right of workers during collective bargaining. You cannot be disciplined or discriminated against for exercising your legal right to strike. An employer cannot put pressure on you not to strike. If any of these things happen, contact your local organiser or Te Roopu Tohutohu Manaaki (free phone 0508 367 772).
Will I lose pay?
Yes. Your employer will almost certainly deduct pay from your salary. The amount deducted must only reflect the amount of time you were on strike when you would otherwise be working (2 hours).
Do I need to supply my name to my employer to inform them I’m on strike?
No. It is for the employer to determine how it intends to monitor the strike and deduct pay. However, any reasonable instruction from the employer should be followed. If, for example, you were formally requested to advise whether or not you were on strike, you should answer this question.
Can the employer direct me to make up lost time?
No. You cannot be required to make up the time. Making up for the lost time would undermine the impacts of the strike.
What about the pressure to complete my work?
If you catch up on outstanding work in your own time, it will defeat the purpose of taking action in the first place. The point of the action is to disrupt work and demonstrate just how much they need the expertise and hard work of their workforce to get the work done.
Can the employer use someone else to do my work?
Non-members can be asked to cover the work of striking colleagues, but if it is not work they normally do or not within their scope of practise, they can refuse. That is how they can support your strike. Sympathetic union members covered by other collective agreements (e.g., nurses) can be asked but can refuse to do their striking colleagues’ work if it is not work they would normally do or within their scope of practise. We have written to our union colleagues advising them of this strike action. Your colleagues from other unions will be encouraged not to do your work.
An employer cannot employ new staff to do the work of striking employees unless the work is necessary for health and safety reasons.
Do I have to go on strike?
All PSA members covered by bargaining for the Health New Zealand I Te Whatu Ora and PSA Home Care Support Workers West Coast I Te Tai Poutini District Collective Agreement are expected to support the industrial action regardless how they voted, unless they are required to provide Life Preserving Services which will be agreed between Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand and the PSA. It is expected that members will respect the principle of collective responsibility and support the democratic decision of the majority by taking part in the strike. We are stronger together.
What if I’m sick?
If you are sick, the principles of your sick leave provisions continue to apply, which means you can take sick leave if you or a dependent are genuinely sick.
Will I be paid for sick leave if I was supposed to be providing LPS and I am sick?
Yes. You will be paid in accordance with provisions of your conditions of employment.
What happens if my manager asks me to sign something or tell them if I am going on strike?
Your manager should not be asking you individually if you are striking. It is up to the union to give notice of a strike and to decide with the employer for life preserving services and we have done that. Please refer your manager to the union.
What should I do on the strike day?
Pickets and rallies are being planned. We expect that all members participate in pickets and rallies that have been organised. Members will be updated on details of pickets and rallies.
What are Life Preserving Services (LPS)?
Since the services you provide are essential, neither the union nor Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand want patients’ life or limb being put at risk. As a way of balancing your right to strike and ensuring that patients are not harmed, unions have had input into the Employment Relations Act code of good faith for the public health sector that sets out how LPS will be provided. LPS means:
crisis intervention for the preservation of life:
care required for therapeutic services without which life would be jeopardised:
urgent diagnostic procedures required to obtain information on potentially life-threatening conditions:
crisis intervention for the prevention of permanent disability:
care required for therapeutic services without which permanent disability would occur:
urgent diagnostic procedures required to obtain information on conditions that could potentially lead to permanent disability.
Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand and the PSA will reach agreement about the provision of LPS before the strikes go ahead. You will hear directly from the union if you are required to work for the LPS.
What happens if some unforeseen event occurs and more staff that agreed in the LPS are needed?
In the LPS agreement, we agree to an Emergency Protocol that allows Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand to request more staff if an emergency occurs.
Who do I need to talk to about making sure there is cover during a strike for LPS?
Nobody. LPS will be negotiated by union representatives and the employer’s Strike Contingency Planner. This is not negotiated between individual members and managers or team leaders.
PSA members (and teams) are not required to have any of these discussions (and we strongly encourage you not to). The PSA will approach the LPS discussion in good faith, balancing patient safety with your rights to strike.
Who do I talk to if I feel threatened or need advice?
You should contact your local delegate, Te Roopu Tohutohu Manaaki (free phone 0508 367 772) or your PSA organiser.
Can I talk to the media?
We recommend that if you are approached by the media, refer them to your PSA delegate or organiser, who are free to speak as PSA representatives. We also have delegates from the bargaining team who have been media trained.
What happens next?
Although members have voted to take strike action, we remain open to further bargaining in an attempt to settle this dispute. We urge Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand to listen to workers and put forward a viable offer.
If the dispute remains unresolved then we will ballot for further industrial action. We will discuss with you and other members in your workplace what this industrial action may look like. We will keep you updated.
We are holding s26 paid Stop Work meetings in Greymouth, Hokitika and Westport on Monday 13 October to discuss and engage with you on the collective bargaining.
