Around 250 Nurse Maude support workers will walk off the job today, Monday 14 September, marking their fourth strike in six weeks over a pay dispute that has now escalated to formal facilitation through the Employment Relations Authority.

The strike comes after the Public Service Association (PSA) says Nurse Maude has repeatedly failed to put forward a fair offer, or move on its position to cut two sick leave days from support workers.

A Pattern That Keeps Repeating

This is not a dispute that has appeared suddenly. According to the PSA, care and support workers have already taken strike action three separate times before today:

Strike Date

Outcome

31 July

No improved offer followed

10 August

No improved offer followed

7 September

No improved offer followed

14 September

Fourth strike, facilitation now granted

PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said the repeated pattern reflects an employer that has consistently failed to respond to worker concerns.

"This is now the fourth strike. These workers want their employer to hear them, and to put forward a fair offer that doesn't cut their sick leave," Fitzsimons said.

What's Actually at Stake

At the centre of the dispute is a proposal to cut two sick leave days from support workers, a group Fitzsimons describes as being on the front line of community healthcare.

She argues that other publicly funded employers in similar roles have already recognised why this extra sick leave matters for this specific workforce, and that Nurse Maude's position puts it out of step with the wider sector.

"Nurse Maude has had six weeks and three strikes to put something better on the table," Fitzsimons said. "Instead, they're still trying to cut two sick leave days from support workers."

Why the Employment Relations Authority Got Involved

With three strikes failing to produce movement from Nurse Maude, the PSA took the additional step of formally requesting facilitation through the Employment Relations Authority, essentially asking an independent body to help push the negotiation toward a resolution.

That request was granted on Friday, adding a more formal layer of process to a dispute that has so far played out mainly through repeated strike action.

Where the Pickets Are Happening

Support workers and PSA members will be picketing at four locations across the country this morning:

Location

Time

Address

Nelson

8am

Bunnings car park, corner of Main Road and Saxton

Christchurch

8.30am

Corner Papanui Road and Mansfield Ave, Merivale

Hutt Valley

8.30am

Corner High Street and Daysh Street, Avalon, Lower Hutt

Mana, Porirua

8.30am

Corner Titahi Bay Road and Hagley Street, Porirua

The Christchurch picket is notably positioned near Nurse Maude's own Mansfield Ave premises, putting the action directly outside one of the organisation's key sites.

Why This Dispute Matters Beyond These Workers

Nurse Maude support workers provide care and support within community healthcare settings, meaning ongoing strike action carries implications not just for the workers themselves, but potentially for the continuity of care for the people they support in the community.

Fitzsimons was clear that repeated strikes are not the union's preferred outcome.

"Workers don't want to keep striking. They want a fair pay offer and the sick leave threat gone," she said. "Until Nurse Maude moves, they will keep taking action."

What Happens Next

With formal facilitation now underway through the Employment Relations Authority, there is at least a structured process in place aimed at breaking the deadlock, something that three rounds of strike action alone had not achieved.

Whether this fourth strike, combined with the added pressure of Authority-led facilitation, finally prompts a revised offer from Nurse Maude remains to be seen. For now, support workers across four regions are making clear that the dispute is not going away until the sick leave cuts are off the table and a fair pay offer is on it.


This article is based on a media release issued by the Public Service Association (PSA).