Gisborne nurses strike again for patient safety amid staffing concerns

Striking Gisborne nurses seek public support outside Gisborne Hospital during their 7am to 11pm strike today. About 36,000 nurses around the country, including Gisborne, will strike again on Thursday as they continue their campaign against what they say are unsafe staffing levels.

Nurses in Gisborne were among those around New Zealand who went on strike today and will do so again on Thursday.

More than 36,000 Health NZ nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants, who are also members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO), walked off the job from 7am to 11pm and will strike for the same hours on Thursday.

About 60 Gisborne Hospital nurses demonstrated outside the hospital from 7.30am and cheered loudly every time a passing motorist indicated their support for the campaign, which nurses say is primarily about patient safety.

Health Minister Simeon Brown criticised the strike, saying it would further delay healthcare for thousands of New Zealanders.

“Since 2011, NZNO union nurses’ pay has risen by nearly 74%, which is more than double the wage growth of 35% across the wider economy,” he said in a statement.

Nurses say the wage offer before them does not match cost of living increases.

NZNO delegate Noreen McCallan said the two-day strike action was not taken lightly by its members.

“We are doing this because we fear for the safety of our patients.

“We will lose two days’ pay for striking, but we are standing up for safe staffing because it is the right thing to do.

“We became health workers because we want to care for people, but staff shortages have become overwhelming and exhausting for many of us.”

NZNO organiser Lewis Wheatley told the Gisborne Herald Health NZ had been obfuscating in releasing staffing level information despite Official Information Act requests.

Chief Ombudsman John Allen has found the agency acted “unreasonably” and unlawfully in withholding information, which shows more than a third of all public hospital shifts were understaffed in 2024.

Brown said the strike would result in around 2251 more surgeries and treatments such as hip, knee and cataract operations being cancelled or postponed, additional delays for approximately 3600 first specialist assessments and the postponement of around 8000 critical follow-up appointments.

“This strike is a choice by the union to put politics ahead of patients,” he said.

Nurses last went on strike in late July with Health NZ and NZNO deadlocked in negotiations for about a year.