Blog | NUPE

Betrayal Hurts But Not As Much As Poverty Pay

Aug 11
2 min read

For years, care and support workers across New Zealand have been told to hold on.Hold on for the Pay Equity process to run its course.Hold on for wages that reflect the skill, responsibility, and compassion their work demands.Hold on for the promise that their labour — caring for the most vulnerable among us — would finally be valued as it should.

This wasn’t just a political process. It was a commitment.

A Hard-Won Path to Pay Equity

The fight for pay equity in the care and support sector has been long and hard.It grew from the landmark Kristine Bartlett case, which proved that low wages in female-dominated industries are a direct result of gender discrimination. That case led to the 2017 Care & Support Workers (Pay Equity) Settlement — a significant step forward, but one that expired in 2022.

The understanding was clear: once expired, the Pay Equity claims process would take over to ensure wages stayed fair, keeping pace with the value of the work. Care workers were patient. They followed the process. They trusted the system.

A Process Cut Short

Now, that trust has been shattered.The Government has scrapped the Care & Support Pay Equity process — changing the law under urgency, without consultation, and leaving thousands of the lowest-paid workers stranded.

This isn’t just bureaucratic tinkering.It’s the erasure of a lifeline for people who already live on the edge.

The Reality of Poverty Pay

Across New Zealand, and here in Canterbury, community support and care workers are earning wages that barely cover rent, food, and transport — let alone the rising cost of living.Many work multiple jobs. Many go without basic necessities. Some rely on food banks to make it through the week.

These are not luxuries they are missing out on. These are the essentials of a decent life.

And yet, every day, they turn up to work to bathe, feed, lift, comfort, advocate for, and protect the most vulnerable people in our society.

Betrayal Has a Price

The Government’s decision is more than a broken promise — it’s a message. A message that the skilled, emotionally demanding, and essential work of care can be devalued, dismissed, and done on the cheap.

The result?High staff turnover. Service gaps. Broken relationships between carers and those they support. More pressure on an already exhausted workforce.

This Is About Values

When New Zealand moved care out of large institutions and into the community, it made a promise — that people would receive better, more personalised care, and that those delivering it would be supported.

That promise cannot be kept without fair pay. You cannot deliver safe, high-quality care on poverty wages.

The Fight Isn’t Over

Betrayal hurts. But not as much as poverty pay. That’s why NUPE, alongside care and support workers across Aotearoa, will keep fighting until this injustice is put right.

Because valuing care means valuing carers. And a country that truly cares doesn’t abandon its most vulnerable — or the people who stand beside them every day. We care for the most vulnerable is not just a policy decision — it’s a test of our national character.

GET INVOLVED IN THE CAMPAIGN :

Full Details At www.nupe.org.nz/FAIRPAY

National Union of Public Employees Annual General Meeting 2025