Thousands of tertiary education staff strike over pay across New Zealand

Union says no pay offer matches cost of living; university defends bargaining in good faith

By LineZotpaper

Published21 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Around 8,000 university and polytechnic staff across New Zealand walked off the job on Wednesday afternoon, striking over pay and job security in what the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) described as a coordinated industrial action unprecedented in scale. The strike ran from 1:15pm to 5pm, with union leaders saying no employer had offered wages that kept pace with inflation.

Thousands of tertiary education staff across New Zealand took strike action on Wednesday, 21 October, in a coordinated walkout over pay and working conditions. The Tertiary Education Union (TEU) estimated 8,000 members from universities and polytechnics participated in the four-hour stoppage.

National secretary Amy Ross said the offers on the table fell short of what was needed to address the cost of living crisis. “If we want to live in a country that supports us all with enough quality nurses, builders, teachers, doctors, engineers and other skilled professionals, then we need to value the people who teach them,” she said in a statement.

Ross also highlighted job security as a key concern, noting that at universities just over half of the workforce (54.8 percent) are on fixed-term or casual contracts. “This is insecure work, which creates huge job uncertainty for people who are relied on to tutor, teach and do the research that a university's reputation rests on,” she said. She added that negotiations with some polytechnics had stretched over ten months.

Union national president tiriti Ti Lamusse said none of the offers matched inflation, calling them a real pay cut. “On top of that no employer has offered to do anything about the ongoing abuse of fixed-term contracts by universities in particular,” he said. Lamusse argued that institutions could afford better pay, but that decision-makers were choosing not to prioritise staff.

He described the mental toll of insecure work, recounting conversations with staff who faced prolonged uncertainty. “One of my colleagues has spent more than eight years on fixed-term contracts, despite the fact he's been doing the same job all that time,” Lamusse said. “This guy is a leading volcanologist, he's doing really important work. He's bringing in lots of research funding, and yet he's not given a secure job.”

Associate Professor Sean Sturm from the University of Auckland's Faculty of Arts and Education said staff felt overworked, with heavier loads and pay rises below inflation. He said casual contracts were driving colleagues away, making it harder to secure mortgages or rent stable housing.

The University of Auckland acknowledged the right to strike but said most staff were not union members and would not be participating. “The University remains committed to bargaining in good faith and is hopeful that it will be able to find a constructive solution to address any issues through the bargaining process,” a spokesperson said. The university said it would continue with business-as-usual during the strike.

Universal College of Learning (UCOL) chief executive Jasmine Groves said the polytech was committed to constructive bargaining and had scheduled further meetings. Manukau Institute of Technology and Unitec chief executive Christina Hong said the same, noting classes would continue.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The strike affects tens of thousands of students at a critical point in the academic year, with disruption to classes and exams.
It highlights the growing tension between university administrations and staff over wages and the prevalence of insecure contracts in the tertiary sector.
The outcome could set a precedent for bargaining across the sector and influence government funding priorities for education.

Background

Tertiary education staff in New Zealand have been negotiating new collective agreements for months. The TEU has argued that government funding for universities and polytechnics has fallen in real terms, squeezing budgets and limiting what institutions can offer. The union has repeatedly raised concerns about the increasing use of fixed-term and casual contracts, which it says undermine job security for academics and support staff. The strike on 21 October was one of the largest coordinated actions by tertiary staff in recent years.

Key Perspectives

Tertiary Education Union (staff): The union says pay offers represent a real cut when set against inflation, and that job insecurity from fixed-term and casual contracts is causing significant stress and driving staff away from the sector. It argues institutions can afford better pay if they choose to prioritise staff. University of Auckland and other institutions: Employers acknowledge the right to strike and say they are negotiating in good faith. The University of Auckland noted that most staff are not union members and pledged to minimise disruption. UCOL and Manukau Institute of Technology expressed commitment to continuing bargaining. Students: While not directly quoted, students face potential disruption to teaching and assessment during a key period of the academic year. The university spokesperson said efforts would be made to continue classes as normal.

What to Watch

Whether the strike leads to renewed bargaining and improved pay offers in the coming days.
The response from the Minister for Tertiary Education, Penny Simmonds, who was approached for comment but not quoted.
Any further industrial action if negotiations remain deadlocked, including possible strikes at individual institutions.

Sources

Thousands of tertiary education staff are striking over pay · RNZ New Zealand Headlines

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThousands of tertiary education staff struck over pay across New Zealand.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Thousands of university and polytechnic staff are going on strike over pay.”
Partly supportedAround 8,000 staff walked off the job on Wednesday afternoon over pay and job security.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “The Tertiary Education Union estimated the mass industrial action would include 8000 members across the country, all striking from 1:15pm to 5pm.”
Not in the sourcesThe TEU described the action as unprecedented in scale.
SupportedThe strike ran from 1:15pm to 5pm, a four-hour stoppage.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “The Tertiary Education Union estimated the mass industrial action would include 8000 members across the country, all striking from 1:15pm to 5pm.”
SupportedThe strike took place on Wednesday, 21 October.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “News Community 21 October 2026, 2:56pm”
SupportedUnion leaders said no pay offers matched inflation or kept pace with the cost of living.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Union national president tiriti Ti Lamusse said none of the offers currently on the table matched inflation.”
SupportedAmy Ross said: “If we want to live in a country that supports us all with enough quality nurses, builders, teachers, doctors, engineers and other skilled professionals, then we need to value the people who teach them,” in a statement.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “"If we want to live in a country that supports us all with enough quality nurses, builders, teachers, doctors, engineers and other skilled professionals, then we need to value the people who teach them," she said in a written statement.”
SupportedRoss said just over half of university staff—54.8 percent—were on fixed-term or casual contracts.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “"At universities just over half (54.8 percent) of the workforce are on fixed-term or casual employment agreements," she said.”
Partly supportedRoss said negotiations with some polytechnics had stretched over ten months.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “She said negotiations with some polytechs had dragged on for 10 months.”
SupportedLamusse said: “On top of that no employer has offered to do anything about the ongoing abuse of fixed-term contracts by universities in particular.”RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “"On top of that no employer has offered to do anything about the ongoing abuse of fixed-term contracts by universities in particular."”
SupportedLamusse said a colleague had spent more than eight years on fixed-term contracts doing the same job and was a leading volcanologist bringing in research funding.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “"One of my colleagues has spent more than eight years on fixed-term contracts, despite the fact he's been doing the same job all that time," Lamusse said. "This guy is a leading volcanologist, he's doing really important work. He's bringing in lots of research funding, and yet he's not given a secure job."”
SupportedA University of Auckland spokesperson said the university remained committed to bargaining in good faith and hoped to find a constructive solution through bargaining.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “"The University remains committed to bargaining in good faith and is hopeful that it will be able to find a constructive solution to address any issues through the bargaining process," they said.”