When Workers Rise, Students Rise: VUWSA Backs National Strike

The Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA) - Te Aka Tauira & Ngāi Tauira – Māori Student’s Association stands in full solidarity with workers across Aotearoa taking part in Thursday’s mega-strike — one of the largest coordinated industrial actions in recent history. 

In response to comments by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister for the Public Service Judith Collins suggesting that unions are “playing politics”, VUWSA rejects the notion that working people fighting for fair pay, respect, and decent conditions are acting out of political motives. 

These strikes are not about politics — they are about people. They reflect the growing pressures on nurses, teachers, public servants, and other essential workers who continue to face rising living costs, increased workloads, and stagnant pay. Attempts to frame this action as politically motivated ignore the real and urgent challenges facing workers across Aotearoa. 

Minister Collins’ remarks — including her suggestion that unions are prioritising international issues over education and wellbeing — serve only to distract from the real issues driving these strikes: underfunding, burnout, and the erosion of working conditions across the public sector. 

VUWSA believes that the right to strike is a cornerstone of a fair and democratic society. Rather than undermining public confidence, this wave of collective action has strengthened public support for unions and for the rights of workers to demand better. 

VUWSA will be visible at the rally on Thursday and encourage all students to join. Meet us at 12pm at Queens Wharf as we march together to Parliament in solidarity with the thousands of workers across the country calling for fairness, dignity, and decent work. 

When workers rise, everyone benefits.