Standing Up for Public Services: A Response to Judith Collins’ Open Letter

When public servants stand up, they are standing up for all of us.

By Dr Harpreet Singh | drhsinghnz.substack.com | FB: @DrHSinghNZ

Judith Collins’ letter can be found here: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/open-letter-people-new-zealand

In a widely circulated open letter, Minister for the Public Service Judith Collins KC attempted to frame the upcoming public sector strike as politically motivated and unjustified. But for the tens of thousands of teachers, nurses, doctors, and public servants preparing to walk off the job, the letter reads less like a sincere appeal and more like a deflection from the real issues at hand.

“Politically Motivated”? Or Just Fed Up?

Collins accuses unions of prioritising politics over students and patients, citing a meeting where the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) allegedly focused on Palestine. However, this is a red herring.

The PPTA clarified that Palestine was one of several agenda items, alongside core issues such as student achievement, curriculum reform, and teacher workload. The meeting was cancelled and rescheduled. To suggest that teachers are striking over foreign policy is not only misleading, it is also insulting to professionals who have spent years advocating for better conditions for themselves and their students.

The truth is that teachers are striking because they are overworked, underpaid, and exhausted. They are standing up not just for themselves but for the quality of education in Aotearoa.

The Pay Rise That Isn’t

The Government touts pay offers that would see a majority of teachers earning over $100,000 within a year. While this figure may sound impressive, it includes future projections and does not reflect the current reality for most educators.

When inflation is taken into account, the proposed increases amount to a real-terms pay cut. Nurses and doctors face similar issues. A 2 percent rise in the face of rising living costs and housing pressures is not a pay rise. It is a step backwards.

Let’s be clear. Public sector workers are not asking for luxury. They are asking for fair compensation that reflects their skills, responsibilities, and the essential nature of their work.

“Good Faith” Negotiations? Not Quite

The Government claims it has negotiated in good faith. Yet multiple unions report being stonewalled, ignored, or offered deals that were never intended to be accepted.

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) has expressed frustration at the Government’s refusal to engage meaningfully. The Public Service Association (PSA) has highlighted how the Government’s approach is part of a broader strategy to suppress wages and shrink the public sector.

This is not about bad faith from unions. It is about a Government unwilling to invest in the people who keep our schools, hospitals, and public services running.

Fiscal Responsibility or Political Choice?

Collins points to the $8.9 billion spent on debt servicing as a reason for restraint. But fiscal responsibility is not the same as austerity. The Government has made deliberate choices, such as tax cuts for landlords and tobacco companies, while telling frontline workers there is no money for them.

Public servants are not the cause of New Zealand’s fiscal challenges. They are the ones holding the country together through crises, from COVID-19 to natural disasters. Undervaluing them is not just short-sighted. It is dangerous.

This Strike Is About More Than Pay

Yes, wages matter. But so do safe staffing levels, manageable workloads, and the ability to provide quality care and education. Teachers are fighting for more support for children with diverse learning needs. Nurses are demanding safe patient ratios. Doctors are calling for sustainable workloads.

This is a strike for the future of public services in Aotearoa.

Why Does It Matter?

The Government wants to paint this as a battle between “reasonable” leaders and “unreasonable” unions. But the reality is that public sector workers have been pushed to the brink. They are not striking lightly. They are striking because they care about their work, their students, their patients, and the future of our country.

As citizens, parents, patients, and students, we owe them our support.

When public servants stand up, they are standing up for all of us.