Nurses have taken to the streets of New Zealand on Wednesday to protest poor working conditions, chronic under-funding, and burnout.
The strike action comes after the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) rejected a second pay offer, with the union describing district health board working conditions as "outrageous".
NZNO has asked for a 17 percent increase, but the Government says it can't afford it.
Health Minister Andrew Little says it's "disappointing" an agreement over pay hasn't yet been reached and adds the Government will continue to support nurses.
"We've added more nurses to the workforce and we're going to continue to do that - we've increased the pay and will continue to do so... it is disappointing we're not there yet."
The strike will finish at 7pm on Wednesday.
