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Employment and Equity – Not Done Yet: Women’s Day of Action for Pay Equity – CTU

Source: NZCTU

On Saturday 20 September communities across Aotearoa will unite for a Women’s Day of Action for Pay Equity – taking place 132 years after New Zealand women secured the right to vote. This mobilisation responds directly to the Government’s gutting of pay equity.

“This week, alongside our affiliated unions, we handed the Government a petition with 93,924 signatures demanding they stop this attack on workers. But we’re not done. The Women’s Day of Action is another opportunity for women to show the Government that this issue is not going to go away,” said NZCTU Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges.

“These changes have hurt Māori, Pacific, migrant, and low-paid women – nurses, teachers, care and support workers and more who are the backbone of Aotearoa. We will keep fighting until pay equity is restored, and workers’ rights are respected.

“Over 180,000 workers have already had their pay equity claims scrapped. The changes make it nearly impossible to lodge new claims and allow employers to opt out entirely.

“Pay equity isn’t just the right thing to do – for many workers, it’s the difference between working one job or two, between feeding their kids or going without.

“The Women’s Day of Action is both a protest and a celebration of women’s legacy, honouring the suffrage movement while amplifying collective power. The event is family-friendly and community-led, with kai, performances, and opportunities to hold politicians accountable. Participants are encouraged to wear purple, green, and white in honour of suffragists.

“A range of actions all over the country are being planned. Whether you march in Auckland, gather in Porirua or Christchurch, raise your voice in Wellington, have a crafternoon in Invercargill or show support online – you are part of this movement.

“On September 20, we are sending a clear message: pay equity is not optional, and we will not back down,” said Ansell-Bridges.

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Employment – MBIE facing legal action over attempt to curb flexible work including working from home arrangements – PSA

Source: PSA

The PSA has just filed legal action with the Employment Relations Authority over MBIE’s disregard of existing flexible work arrangements including working from home which are protected under the PSA’s collective agreement with the Government department. 
The Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has recently introduced a new Flexible Work Policy to align with the Government’s directive to restrict flexible work arrangements for public service workers including reducing days working from home. This directive is also itself subject to legal action by the PSA.
“Cracking down on flexible work is the wrong approach from employers in 2025,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“Working from home and flexible work are generally a win-win for employers and employees, that’s why we are asking MBIE to stick with current flexible work arrangements and look for more ways to enable flexibility which we know is particularly valuable for women, people with disabilities and everyone with caring responsibilities.
“The PSA originally raised objections to MBIE’s flexible work guidance in June 2025 and then tried to resolve this dispute through mediation, but this failed. MBIE hasn’t been willing to backdown, leaving the PSA with no choice but to take this step to protect the rights of MBIE staff included in existing agreements.
“The collective agreement binds MBIE to supporting flexible work, so its new policy is simply unlawful. We are seeking a determination from the ERA that MBIE is violating the ‘flexible by default’ approach which forms part of its collective agreement with members.
“Employees at MBIE have a right to flexible work arrangements which suit their individual circumstances unless there is a good business reason not to. Now MBIE is saying working from home and other arrangements must be re-negotiated, their position is that all new arrangements are to be reviewed every six months with the aim of reducing the number of days worked from home.
“MBIE wants to meet individually with employees to tell them they need to make a new flexible work request which will be considered under the more restrictive policy,” said Fitzsimons.
“MBIE can’t just change existing agreements which are protected under the collective.
“This is a backward step, going against all international evidence and tr

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Transport – Supply chain partners face significant fines if they contribute to speeding, fatigue or overloading by truck drivers

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

The national road freight association, Transporting New Zealand, is calling on all parties across the supply chain to play their part in preventing speeding, breach of work time rules and overladen trucks.
Transporting New Zealand has launched a set of resources raising awareness about the “Chain of Responsibility” provisions in the Land Transport Act, that can result in serious fines for those who influence truck drivers to breach transport rules.
Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says that it isn’t just truck drivers with road safety responsibilities.
“If your conduct contributes to truck drivers exceeding speed limits, breaching work time rules, or operating overweight vehicles, you can be liable for a fine of up to $25,000 under the Land Transport Act.”
“This is relevant to everyone from transport company directors, cargo owners, processors, and ports. All those supply chain parties whose instructions, expectations and facilities can contribute to non-compliance.”
“While it is ultimately the responsibility of truck drivers and road freight businesses to ensure they are operating safely and compliantly, the Chain of Responsibility provisions recognise that other parties are often in a position of power when it comes to getting freight delivered.”
“Transporting New Zealand has always maintained a zero-tolerance policy towards deliberate non-compliance by transport operators, and that remains unchanged.”
Kalasih says he hopes that the Chain of Responsibility resources will encourage conversations between transporters, their clients, and transport facilities like processing plants and ports.
“Issues that really put road freight companies under pressure include last minute timing and delivery changes, unrealistic ultimatums from supply chain partners, and a lack of weighing facilities or parking facilities.”
Kalasih would like to see supply chain partners have clear chain of responsibility policies, and increased use of written contracts with appropriate protections for transporters.
“If all parties across the supply chain play their part, it puts truck drivers and road freight companies in the best position to deliver the freight task safely and efficiently.”
Chain of Responsibility Resources
Chain of Responsibility Posters can be downloaded here.
The NZTA Chain of Responsibility Fact Sheet is available here.
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Government Cuts – Axing same-day enrolment to vote exposes impact of Govt starving another key agency of enough funding

Source: PSA

The PSA is condemning proposed changes to New Zealand’s electoral laws as undemocratic and the result of a systematically underfunded public service.
“We were shocked to see the Government propose several changes to electoral laws, especially the end to same-day voter enrolment,” Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi national secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons, says.
“They say that the system – in other words, the Electoral Commission – can’t handle the strain of same-day enrolment in the years to come.
“Why has the Government chosen to build obstacles around people’s basic right to vote, instead of funding the Electoral Commission properly?”
Like many other public service agencies, the Electoral Commission has been forced to tighten its budget by the National-led Government and restructured its staff last year.
“At the time, we criticised that restructure process as rushed – and it eventually resulted in several highly skilled staff leaving the organisation.
“New Zealanders are rightfully proud of our democracy. But we also know that to maintain our democracy, we need to care for it and invest into it.
“New Zealanders want the public service to be given the tools – including the funding – to make sure voting is as easy as possible for everyone.
“100,000 people used the same-day enrolment process at the 2023 election. This is not a nice-to-have – this is a basic function of our democracy.”
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.
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Government Cuts – Govt funding squeeze sees DOC cutting a further 71 roles – PSA

Source: PSA

The need to meet Government spending cut requirements means the Department of Conservation (DOC) will be cutting a net 71 support roles around the country, many in small rural towns.
DOC confirmed to staff today that it will be disestablishing 143 support roles and creating 72 new positions, meaning a net reduction of 71 roles. Of the 72 new support roles, 25 are half-time.
Removing support staff, who monitor the radios used by DOC staff working away from the office to stay safe, poses health and safety risks, PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says.
“The current support staff have sizeable health and safety responsibilities, such as monitoring staff radio systems and helping to manage emergencies like fires. The loss of these team members will mean that these important duties will fall on others – and pose a significant health and safety risk.
“DOC Rangers, contractors and volunteers rely on the radios to stay in regular contact with their offices and ensure they can get help if they run into trouble,” Fitzsimons says.
“It’s one example of how the loss of business support staff will mean administrative work will have to be done by other DOC staff.
“This will mean they have less time to focus on vital work like protecting threatened species, repairing tracks and pest control,” Fitzsimons says.
The cuts also mean the public will no longer be able to access DOC offices, apart from Visitors’ Centres, because the loss of support staff will mean there will be no one to manage reception.
“A farmer in town for errands will no longer be able to drop into the DOC office to talk with staff about matters of concern. A wealth of local knowledge and wisdom will be lost with the axing of support staff,” Fitzsimons says.
“Downgrading 25 roles to half-time is a blow to the many workers who cannot make

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Economics – Tariffs and uncertainty likely to dampen medium-term inflation pressures – Reserve Bank of NZ

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

24 July 2025 – Global tariffs and economic uncertainty are likely to mean less inflation pressures in New Zealand and a pullback in business investment and household spending, RBNZ Chief Economist Paul Conway says.

However, the economy is currently supported by high export prices and lower interest rates, he says.  

In a speech delivered to Business New Zealand in Wellington today, Mr Conway says that as a small, open economy, we are heavily influenced by global developments.

“Being tied in with the global economy helps us prosper. It also means that when something big happens offshore, such as the imposition of tariffs, its ripple effects impact the New Zealand economy,” he says.

The US has made a decisive shift towards a more trade protectionist stance, which is a major change in the global trading environment with significant implications for the global economy, Mr Conway says.

Tariffs may make global supply chains less efficient and could nudge up the cost of imports. This is why tariffs are expected to add to inflation pressures in the US.

But for New Zealand, the main impact is likely to be weaker global growth, which could reduce demand for our exports and lower import prices. Import prices could fall further as other countries redirect their exports away from the US. This is expected to reduce inflation pressures here.

At the same time, uncertainty is elevated, making it harder for households and businesses to plan.

“When businesses aren't sure what's coming, they hold off hiring and delay big investments. Households tend to respond to increased uncertainty by putting off big sp

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Property Market – Rental market softens tipping in favour of tenants – Cotality

Source: Cotality.

New Zealand’s rental market has started to swing in favour of tenants, as easing migration and rising supply take the heat out of rents, according to Cotality’s July Housing Chart Pack. (ref. http://www.cotality.com/nz/resources/industry-insights/monthly-housing-chart-pack )

Data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE) shows that the national median rent in the three months to May edged down by -0.3% from last year, not a big fall but still the first since late 2009.

After significant increases over 2021-23, rental growth has generally petered out in recent months, or turned negative in some key centres.

There has been a rare shift in markets such as Auckland where the median weekly rent has dropped -2.0% over the past year to $650. Wellington City has also seen a decline of -0.8%, down to $602. Tauranga and Christchurch are other main centres with soft rents at present.
 
Median weekly rents in three months to May, % change from a year ago

Sources: MBIE, Cotality (formerly CoreLogic)

Cotality Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson said this shift is being driven by a range of interrelated factors.

“There was a sharp rise in rents post-COVID as borders reopened and net migration spiked. Many new migrants tend to rent, especially given the foreign buyer ban, and that demand placed pressure on key centres such as Auckland.”

“At the same time, rental supply was tighter. Investor activity had dipped due to rising mortgage rates and tax rule changes, which arguably meant fewer rental properties were added to the available pool than otherwise might have been the case.”

Mr Davidson noted that these dynamics pushed rents up to high levels, both in dollar terms and relative to household incomes, placing strain on tenant affordability.

“This affordability ceiling is now acting as a natural brake on further rent increases.”

“And while it’s still expensive to be a tenant, the balance of power has shifted slightly. It’s not suddenly easy to rent, but it is nevertheless a friendlier market for tenants than it has been in recent years,” he said.

Recent falls in net migration have reduced marginal rental demand growth, while the supply of available listings rises.

“Supply has risen as investors are starting to return to the market, and at the same time we’re seeing the completion of many new-build properties.

“Overall, this has contributed to a softening in the rental market, with conditions gradually shifting in favour of tenants,” Mr Davidson concluded.
Highlights from the July 2025 Housing Chart Pack include:

New Zealand’s residential real estate market is worth a combined $1.65 trillion.
The Cotality Home Value Index shows property values across New Zealand ticked up by +0.2% in June. Over the three months to June, however, there was a -0.1% dip in median property values across NZ.

The total sales count over the 12 months to June is 85,951.
Total listings on the market were 27,006 in June. The total number of properties listed on the market remains elevated, although the seasonal fall for new listings flows means that agreed sales have just started to eat into stock levels.
The pace of rental growth remains subdued, with net migration having fallen a long way from its peak, and the stock of available rental listings on the market still elevated.
Buyer Classification data shows first home buyers made up 26% of purchases from April to June, while smaller investors (‘Mums and Dads’) are having a comeback, targeting cheaper, existing dwellings.

Gross rental yields now stand at 3.8%, which is the highest level since mid-16.
Inflation is back in the 1–3% target range. The Reserve Bank looks set to cut the official cash rate again to 3.0%, potentially as soon as August.

The Chart of the Month for July highlights MBIE data showing the annual % change in median weekly rents over the three months to May. After years of sharp increases, rents are now softening in some main centres, with Auckland down -2.0% to $650, alongside modest declines in Wellington City (-0.8%) and Tauranga (-0.2%).
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Farming and Finance – Federated Farmers release rural banking report cards

Source: Federated Farmers

A Federated Farmers survey has revealed how the country’s biggest rural lenders are performing in the eyes of farmers – ranking the banks from best to worst.
“A farmer’s relationship with their bank is one of the most important relationships within their business, and for many farmers interest payments will be their single-biggest expense,” says Federated Farmers banking spokesperson Mark Hooper.
“Farmers, along with politicians and the general public, deserve full transparency of what each of the rural lenders is doing well – and just as importantly, what they’re not doing so well.
“That’s why, for the first time, we’ve asked farmers to tell us how the banks are stacking up.
“We’re now releasing these report cards because we want to create more visibility of rural banking issues and competition.”
Federated Farmers’ May banking survey of 681 farmers found Rabobank and ANZ were the top-performing rural banks, sharing first-place on the podium.
Rabobank received the highest scores for overall satisfaction, communication quality and overdraft rate.
ANZ scored the best farmer ratings for mortgage rates, the level of undue pressure felt by farmers, and mental health scores.
Westpac came in at the middle of the pack, scoring well with their mortgage rates and communication.
BNZ and ASB were nearly tied in last place, showing they’ve got some work to do with farmers.
Hooper says the banks’ CEOs should keep an eye out for a report card coming their way.
“The purpose of these report cards isn’t to tear down the banks – it’s to really help them see what they need to focus on to deliver a better service to Kiwi farmers.
“Over the coming weeks we’ll be providing each of the banks with a copy of their report card, and some constructive feedback on how they could improve.
“We hope this is a helpful process and results in a benefit to both farmers and their lenders.”
ANZ
  • Mortgage  Rate: A+
  • Overdraft  Rate: A
  • Undue  Pressure: A+
  • Comm.  Quality: B
  • Mental  Health: A+
  • Overall  Satisfaction: A
  • Final  Grade: A-
Rabobank
  • Mortgage  Rate: B
  • Overdraft  Rate: A+
  • Undue  Pressure: A
  • Comm.  Quality: A+
  • Mental  Health: A
  • Overall  Satisfaction: A+
  • Final Grade: A-
Westpac
  • Mortgage  Rate: A
  • Overdraft  Rate: C
  • Undue  Pressure: D
  • Comm.  Quality: A
  • Mental  Health: B
  • Overall  Satisfaction: B
  • Final  Grade: C+
BNZ
  • Mortgage  Rate: D
  • Overdraft  Rate: D
  • Undue  Pressure: B
  • Comm.  Quality: D
  • Mental  Health: D
  • Overall  Satisfaction: C
  • Final  Grade: C-
ASB
  • Mortgage  Rate: C
  • Overdraft  Rate: B
  • Undue  Pressure: C
  • Comm.  Quality: C
  • Mental  Health: C
  • Overall  Satisfaction: D
  • Final  Grade: D.
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Weather News – Calm conditions set to turn wet, windy and warm – MetService

Source: MetService

Covering period of Thursday 24th – Monday 28th July – Calm conditions set to turn wet, windy and warm:

  • Cold, settled weather holds through Saturday for most
  • Rain and wind move in from the south late Saturday
  • More widespread wet weather expected early next week, with possible heavy falls for the north of both islands.

Aotearoa New Zealand has enjoyed a run of calm, frosty mornings and crisp, clear days under a broad ridge of high pressure. Places like Dunedin Airport, Timaru, and Wanaka dipped to their lowest temperatures of the year this morning (Thursday), at -6.7°C, -4.7°C and -5.1°C respectively. While Aucklanders have seen consistent low morning temperatures, dropping below 4°C every day so far this week.

However, this spell of settled weather is coming to a close, as conditions gradually turn over the weekend with warmer temperatures, rain and wind firmly returning to the forecast from early next week. After what has been a notably cold and settled week of July, the shift to a more active pattern may feel like a dramatic change for many.

MetService meteorologist Devlin Lynden says, “We can enjoy the clear days for a little bit longer. But that ridge is on the move, and we’ll start to feel the effects as early as Saturday in the south.”  He adds, “Our focus is on the next system which will bring rain and wind back into the picture for many areas by late Sunday and into Monday, with more severe weather possible on Tuesday.”

The first signs of change eventuate in Fiordland late Friday, with cloud and showers spreading northward. By Sunday, areas like Northland and the West Coast can expect scattered showers, while eastern regions such as Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay stay dry a little longer.

Next week looks more unsettled overall, with warmer temperatures brought in by strengthening northerly winds. Showers spread further east on Monday, and by Tuesday, there is the risk of heavier rain developing for the north of the North Island, the Tasman District and the West Coast, areas that have already seen plenty of severe weather this winter.

“Warnings and Watches for Heavy Rain and for Strong Winds may be issued in the coming days. Keep up with the latest information at metservice.com, especially as we head into a more active and changeable weather week,” advises Lynden.