Source: PSA
PSA members working at care provider Nurse Maude will be holding stop work meetings in 11 locations on Monday (29 June) as their employers seeks to cut their sick leave by two days.
The PSA represents more than 250 workers at Nurse Maude, which is trying to claw back two extra sick leave days that were granted to workers while they awaited pay equity settlement, which the Government has since cancelled.
The sick leave claw back was presented in a document sent to the union when they thought they had an agreement agreed in principle, after six months of bargaining.
“In 2026, workers shouldn’t have to fight for their sick leave,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association, Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“Sick leave isn’t a luxury. Workers caring for vulnerable people in our communities need sick leave to manage risks to themselves and those they care for,
“Support workers are among the lowest paid workers in the country and already had their pay equity claims cancelled,
“The care system relies entirely on the dedication of these workers, but their work is not properly valued,
“Nurse Maude needs to drop this claw back and come to the table with a fair pay offer.”
Stop work meetings are being held on Monday 29 June from 8am to 10am in the following locations: Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, Wellington, Porirua, Kāpiti, Nelson, Motueka, Blenheim, Rangiora, Christchurch, Lincoln.
Workers will be discussing what escalating action they may need to take if mediation on 3 July is unsuccessful.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.