Carers for intellectually disabled residents in more than 600 homes around New Zealand are striking overnight.
Staff walked off the job for nine hours at 10pm on Monday.
The Service and Food Workers Union says the workers, who are employed by IHC, are paid a $34 allowance rather than an hourly rate on the overnight sleepover shift. The hourly rate, for those working other shifts, is between $14 and $15 an hour.
The central regional secretary for the union, Alistair Duncan, says it has been in negotiation with IHC for six months to get a 2% increase in pay. The union represents about two thirds of the affected workers
The union says the Ministry of Health increased IHC's funding by 1.2% to 2%, and some of that should have been passed on to staff.
IHC says the increase is less than that and not enough to cover its KiwiSaver and ACC levies.
The union says there will be two days of industrial action next week if the strike does not move the matter forward.
Mr Duncan says managers and family members would come in overnight.
Non-union staff would also be working.
