NZEI Te Riu Roa, alongside four other unions and the Human Rights Commission, today challenged the Coalition Government’s rushed overhaul of pay equity legislation in the High Court.
The joint legal action seeks a formal declaration that the Equal Pay Amendment Act violates the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act by denying female-dominated workforces their right to freedom from discrimination.
“We support tamariki with complex needs every day, but for years our work has been undervalued because it’s done mostly by women,” Teacher Aide and NZEI Te Riu Roa member Ally Kingi said.
“Winning pay equity for teacher aides in November 2020 was a huge milestone because our work was finally recognised and valued after years of injustice. However, with this law change, that progress has unravelled. We cannot review our claim, our pay rates have slipped back by up to 17 per cent, and we’re left with no recourse to fix it,” she added.
“As early childhood education teachers, we hold teaching degrees and are required to meet the same standards as other teachers. We carry huge responsibility yet our work continues to be undervalued,” Kindergarten teacher and NZEI Te Riu Roa member Mel Burgess said.
“We spent eight years fighting through setbacks, finally building momentum and cross-sector support for our early childhood claim. Having that claim ripped away overnight was blindsiding and demoralising. We are standing up in court because pay equity is a human right.”
Passed under urgency last year, the new law scrapped 34 active pay equity claims and raised steep procedural hurdles for future applications. The change impacted an estimated 180,000 workers, most of whom are women.
NZEI Te Riu Roa, which championed pay equity claims for tens of thousands of teachers and school support staff across primary and early childhood education, said the legislation systematically entrenches lower pay across female-dominated sectors including education, healthcare, and social services.
From 4-6 August, the High Court will hear the joint application filed by NZEI Te Riu Roa, New Zealand Nurses Organisation, Post-Primary Teachers’ Association, Public Service Association, Tertiary Education Union, and the Human Rights Commission, seeking a declaration that the Equal Pay Amendment Act 2025 violates the Bill of Rights Act.
This court challenge follows action taken in May, when NZEI Te Riu Roa members Mel Burgess and Ally Kingi joined two other individual claimants, Pay Equity Coalition Aotearoa, and the Human Rights Commission to take the pay equity case to the United Nations to demand global accountability.