Coordinated Chaos: Over 50,000 Workers Set to Walk Off Job in Massive October Strike

By LIONS ROAR News Team

Auckland/Wellington, 2 October 2025 — New Zealand’s public sector faces unprecedented disruption this month as more than 50,000 allied health professionals and primary school teachers plan to execute nationwide strikes on the same day, October 23rd, signalling a growing crisis over pay, recruitment, and safe staffing levels.

The coordinated action—which may yet expand to include nurses, senior doctors, and secondary teachers—has drawn sharp criticism from Health Minister Simeon Brown, who labelled the move “deliberate politicking” by union leadership.

More than 11,500 allied health workers, represented by the Public Service Association (PSA), will walk off the job for a full 24 hours. These essential workers cover over 60 professions, including physiotherapists, social workers, occupational therapists, medical laboratory scientists, and anaesthetic technicians, who are critical to patient diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.

The allied health strike will coincide with the industrial action planned by approximately 40,000 primary school teachers and principals nationwide, leading to widespread school closures and significant disruption to healthcare services across the country.

Pay Offer “Well Below Inflation”

The core dispute revolves around Health New Zealand’s (HNZ) most recent offer to allied health workers: a 2 percent pay rise, followed by a 1.5 percent increase over a 30-month period.

PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons strongly rejected the offer, stating it was “well below inflation.” Research shows annual inflation stood at 2.7 percent in the June 2025 quarter, supporting the union’s argument that the pay offer effectively represents a real-terms wage cut, exacerbating already severe staff retention issues.

“These are critical health workers who see first hand how the health system is failing New Zealanders every day,” Fitzsimons said, arguing HNZ must return to the bargaining table with an offer that ensures safer staffing levels and ends delays in recruiting.

The sentiment was echoed by Dianna Mancer, PSA vice-president and an occupational therapist, who noted that departments are constantly running under capacity, leading to staff loss overseas or to private practice.

Minister Slams “Politicking”

In response to the looming widespread industrial action, Health Minister Simeon Brown accused union leaders of prioritising political motives over public welfare.

Speaking on Morning Report on Wednesday, Mr. Brown stated the unions “are simply just playing politics” by choosing to strike instead of negotiating.

“Hips, knees, and cataract operations are going to be disrupted, all because of a choice by a union, rather than actually working through the issues with their employers,” he argued, citing the joint strike date as evidence of political coordination ahead of public service.

However, the Minister’s comments drew immediate backlash. Andy Colwell, a mental health social worker and PSA delegate, described the Minister as the only one “playing politics,” expressing scepticism that Mr. Brown understood the daily challenges faced by frontline staff.

Colwell emphasised that the strike is fundamentally about maintaining safe staffing levels in demanding, complex roles where workers face verbal or physical abuse. “We don’t go to work to be threatened or punched,” he said, underscoring the necessity of having adequate support staff present.

Industrial Action Could Spread

The October 23rd strikes may only be the beginning of a broader wave of industrial action across the public sector.

• Primary Teachers are striking not just over insufficient pay increases that fail to meet cost of living pressures, but also over the lack of support for students with additional needs and concerns about the removal of Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori language support programs.
• Nurses Organisation (NZNO) members are currently confirming ballots on whether to join the strike action, with results expected by Friday afternoon.
• Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS), representing senior doctors and dentists, is also balloting, with voting closing on Monday, October 6th. If approved, their action would involve a four-hour walk-off between 11 am and 3 pm in major centres like Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Christchurch, and Dunedin.
• The Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) has also indicated that their members are considering industrial action on the same date, with confirmation expected next weekend.

If all unions proceed, the scale of the disruption would present one of the largest coordinated public sector strikes in New Zealand’s recent history, placing extreme pressure on the Government to address critical workforce retention and remuneration issues across the health and education sectors.