Betrayal Hurts But Not As Much As Poverty Pay

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

CTU Lawyers Discuss Employment Relations Bill.

Check out this video on the changes to the Employment Relations Act. Explained by Union Lawyers published by the CTU.

CARE WORK HAS VALUE : HONOR IT

Care work is not just a job.It is the beating heart of a compassionate society.It is the quiet, steady force that allows people to live with dignity, families to stay together, and communities to thrive.

The True Value of Care

Care work touches lives in ways that can never be fully measured in dollars and cents — but that does not mean it should be undervalued or underpaid.

For those receiving care — the elderly, the disabled, people with chronic illness or mental distress — it is the difference between isolation and connection, between surviving and truly living.

For families, care work is what allows them to know thier loved ones are safe, to balance work and family responsibilities, to know that someone skilled and compassionate is there to help.

For society, it is an investment in stability, health, and human dignity. Every hour a care worker spends supporting someone is an hour that strengthens the fabric of our communities.

Care Work Reflects Our Values as a Nation

New Zealand prides itself on being one of the best places in the world to live. We talk about fairness, kindness, and looking after one another. But those values mean nothing if they are not reflected in the way we treat our most vulnerable — and the people who care for them.

You can judge the integrity of a nation by the way it provides care for those who need it most. On that test, our care workers are doing their part brilliantly. The question is — is our government?

The Crisis of Undervaluation

Right now, thousands of care workers are paid wages that barely cover the basics of life. These are skilled professionals performing essential work, yet they are treated as though their contribution is optional or replaceable.

This is not just unfair — it is dangerous.Underpaying care workers drives people out of the sector, strips away experienced staff, and leaves those in need of care facing instability and loss.

Honouring Care Work Means Investing in It

If we truly value care, we must show it through action:

• Fair pay that reflects the skill, responsibility, and emotional labour involved.

• Secure funding for community and residential services so workers can focus on care, not on how to make ends meet.

• Recognition that care work is not a cost to be minimised but an investment in the health and strength of our nation.

  
  

A Nation’s Honour Is at Stake

Care work is a mirror — it reflects who we are. If we honour it, we build a New Zealand that lives up to its values. If we neglect it, we reveal a country willing to turn its back on its own people.

We say:Care work has value. Honour it.Because how 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