Greens Pledge NZ$4.48 Billion Pay Equity Settlement for 65,000 New Zealand Care and Support Workers

New Zealand’s Green Party has pledged to restore the country’s pre-2025 pay equity law and fund a settlement for roughly 65,000 care and support workers whose pay equity claim was stopped by the Equal Pay Amendment Act 2025. The party has set aside about NZ$1.1 billion a year, which totals about NZ$4.48 billion over four years.

This is an election promise, not a payout workers can claim today. The pledge only takes effect if the Greens help form the next government, Parliament passes the legislation, and the final amount is agreed through bargaining with workers and their unions. There is no claim form, no registration portal, no administrator and no deadline.

Quick Facts: Green Party Care and Support Workers Pay Equity Pledge

Detail	Information
Announced by	Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, co-leader Marama Davidson, October 1, 2026
Pledged funding	About NZ1.1billionayear;aboutNZ4.48 billion over four years
Workers covered	Roughly 65,000 care and support workers
Law affected	Equal Pay Act 1972, as amended by the Equal Pay Amendment Act 2025
Green Party proposal	Restore pay equity law to its pre-2025 position and legislate a settlement if needed
Final settlement	To be agreed through bargaining with workers and unions
Legal status today	A policy pledge only; the 2025 amendments remain the law
Claim form or deadline	None
Next milestone	New Zealand general election on November 7, 2026

How Much Money Have the Greens Pledged?

The Greens say the care and support workers’ settlement would be funded at about NZ$1.1 billion a year. According to the party’s indicative figures, based on Parliamentary Library costings with a 3% annual increase for wage growth, the funding would run as follows:

Financial year	Indicative funding
2027/2028	NZ$1.072 billion
2028/2029	NZ$1.104 billion
2029/2030	NZ$1.137 billion
2030/2031	NZ$1.171 billion
Four-year total	About NZ$4.48 billion

The party also said the final amount would be set through bargaining and normal Cabinet funding processes. The NZ$4.48 billion figure covers the care and support workers’ settlement only. The Greens have not costed restoring the wider pay equity scheme.

What Is the Care and Support Workers’ Pay Equity Claim?

Care and support workers help disabled people, older people and others who need support with showering, dressing, eating and taking medication. They work in rest homes, hospitals and people’s homes. The Greens say most of these workers are women on low pay.

The claim covered about 65,000 workers across multiple collective agreements. It was brought by their unions and builds on New Zealand’s earlier landmark care-worker settlement in 2017, which gave about 55,000 aged-care and disability workers pay rises worth around NZ$2 billion over five years after the Kristine Bartlett case against TerraNova.

What Did the Equal Pay Amendment Act 2025 Change?

In May 2025 the Government amended the Equal Pay Act 1972 under urgency. Government guidance sets out the main changes:

• All current pay equity claims were discontinued. About 33 claims covering education, health, local government, the public service and other sectors were stopped. New claims can be raised only if they meet the new requirements.
• A tougher test for new claims. The workforce doing the work must have been at least 70% female for at least 10 years, and there must be evidence the work is currently and historically undervalued.
• Restricted comparators. Parties must choose comparator occupations from a set hierarchy and cannot use comparators from a different industry or sector.
• Back pay is optional. Parties may agree on back pay in bargaining, but the Employment Relations Authority cannot award it.
• Phased increases. Settlements can be phased in over up to three years.
• Review clauses in existing settlements became unenforceable.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis said at the time that the changes would save about NZ$12.8 billion over four years. That is the Government’s estimated saving. It is not a fund for workers and is separate from the Greens’ pledge.

What Would the Greens Do If Elected?

According to the party’s announcement, the Greens would:

1. Restore pay equity law to its position before the 2025 changes, while being open to improvements.
2. Recognise the undervaluation that care and support workers had already established.
3. Set aside around NZ$1.1 billion a year for the settlement.
4. Pass legislation to settle the claim “if that is what it takes.”
5. Agree the final settlement through bargaining with workers and their unions.

Media reports say the Greens aim to settle the claim within 100 days of taking office. The party says the wider scheme would be paid for through its proposed wealth tax. Labour has made a competing commitment: leader Chris Hipkins has pledged to reverse the 2025 changes within 100 days, and finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds has promised a first deal with care and support workers by Labour’s first Budget.

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions welcomed the Greens’ announcement. The Public Service Association has also publicly welcomed it.

Can Care and Support Workers Claim Money Now?

No. Workers cannot file a claim for a share of the NZ$4.48 billion today. The announcement is a pledge about what a future government would do.

Several key points remain undecided:

• Whether the Greens will be in government after the November 7 election
• The final settlement amount, which is set by bargaining
• Exactly who would be covered and how individual payments would be calculated
• Whether payments would include back pay
• When legislation would pass and when workers would be paid

Be cautious of any message that asks for bank details, identity documents or a fee to “register” for a Green Party pay equity settlement. No such program exists.

Workers who want to follow bargaining progress can contact their union. The care and support claim was brought through the unions E tū, NZNO and the PSA.

Why This Is Not a U.S. Settlement

This story involves New Zealand employment law and a political policy proposal, not a court-approved class action or a U.S. claims program. Workers outside New Zealand have no claim under this pledge. For general background on U.S. workplace rights, see our guides on employment discrimination and wage and hour law.

Key Dates

Date	Event
2017	Care and support workers’ pay equity settlement of about NZ$2 billion over five years
May 2025	Equal Pay Amendment Act 2025 passed under urgency; existing pay equity claims discontinued
October 1, 2026	Greens announce pay equity restoration and care-worker funding pledge
October 25, 2026	Deadline to enrol to vote
November 7, 2026	New Zealand general election

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Green Party’s NZ$4.5 billion a settlement?

No. It is a funding pledge for a future settlement. The final amount would be agreed through bargaining with workers and unions.

How much exactly have the Greens pledged?

About NZ1.1billionayear,whichtotalsaboutNZ4.48 billion over four years. Some news outlets round this to NZ$4.5 billion.

How many workers would be covered?

Roughly 65,000 care and support workers whose claim was stopped by the 2025 changes.

Can I file a claim now?

No. There is no claim form, portal or deadline. The pledge depends on the election result and future legislation.

What happened to existing pay equity claims in 2025?

The Equal Pay Amendment Act 2025 discontinued all current claims, about 33 in total. New claims can be raised under tougher rules, including a 70% female workforce for at least 10 years.

Does the NZ$12.8 billion figure mean workers will receive that amount?

No. NZ$12.8 billion is the Government’s estimated four-year saving from the 2025 changes. It is not a worker fund.

When would workers be paid?

No payment date exists. It would depend on the election, legislation and bargaining.

Is back pay guaranteed?

No. Back pay has not been confirmed as part of the Greens’ proposal. Under the current law, back pay is only available if the parties agree to it.

Disclaimer: This article explains publicly available legislation and policy announcements. It is not legal advice, and it does not create a lawyer-client relationship.

Sources

1. Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, “Greens commit to pay equity for care workers,” October 1, 2026: https://www.greens.org.nz/greens_commit_to_pay_equity_for_care_workers
2. RNZ, “Greens put $4.5b bill on first part of reversing government’s pay equity changes”: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics/1671503/greens-put-4-point-5b-bill-on-first-part-of-reversing-government-s-pay-equity-changes
3. interest.co.nz, indicative annual funding breakdown for the Greens’ care and support workers’ settlement: https://www.interest.co.nz/public-policy/140500/if-elected-co-leader-marama-davidson-says-greens-will-restore-pay-equity-law
4. Stuff, “Greens promise to reinstate pay equity, set aside funding for care and support workers”: https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/361040987/greens-promise-reinstate-pay-equity-set-aside-funding-care-and-support-workers
5. New Zealand Herald, “Election 2026: Greens vow to restore pay equity regime, settle care workers’ claim”: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/greens-say-coalition-butchered-pay-equity-promise-to-rapidly-resolve-care-and-support-claim/BYCYIG3VJRCPXMAOGO6PIRZBSE/
6. Employment New Zealand, “Changes to Equal Pay Act,” May 14, 2025: https://www.employment.govt.nz/news-and-updates/changes-to-equal-pay-act
7. Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, “A new framework for pay equity in New Zealand”: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/assets/a-new-framework-for-pay-equity-in-new-zealand.pdf
8. New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, “Greens’ pay equity commitment a win for care and support workers”: https://union.org.nz/greens-pay-equity-commitment-a-win-for-care-and-support-workers/
9. Public Service Association statement on the Greens’ commitment (Scoop), October 1, 2026: https://business.scoop.co.nz/2026/10/01/greens-commitment-to-full-pay-equity-for-care-and-support-workers-sets-benchmark/
10. Newstalk ZB, 2017 report on the care workers’ pay equity settlement: https://newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/watch-govt-confirms-historic-pay-equity-deal-with-care-workers