Update:

In a significant union win, the Papua New Guinea Nurses Association (PNGNA) has secured a formal government commitment to fully fund and implement the long-awaited Nurses Industrial Award (2025–2027). The victory came after sustained organising and struggles by the union. The nurses had announced to go on a nationwide strike on 1 April and hold sit in protests. The industrial action threatened to disrupt health services nationwide and forced the government into urgent negotiations.

An emergency meeting between PNGNA President Frederick Goddard Kebai and Health Secretary Pascoe Kase was held. Kase outlined a detailed rollout plan, describing the award as a priority for the government. He confirmed that the Departments of Health, Treasury, Finance and Personnel Management are working together to ensure a “coordinated, transparent, and sustainable implementation.”

Under the agreed timeline, authorities will first verify and update nurses’ entitlements in the Alesco payroll system between March 31 and April 30. This will be followed by phased payments of backdated entitlements, with 30 percent to be paid between May and July, another 30 percent between July and September, and the remaining balance settled by December 2026.

Any outstanding payments will be addressed in the 2027 national budget.

Following the assurance, PNGNA called off the protests. The threat of the nation wide strike and momentum the union built across the country created the pressure that made the government act.

“We had an urgent meeting with the Health Secretary this afternoon and he assured us that the implementation schedule would be confirmed and communicated,” Kebai said. “This will now abort the sitting protest.”

PSI's Sub Regional Secretary for Oceania, Tom Reddington, had sent a letter of solidarity with the nurses which was shared by PNGNA with the Department of Health. The letter helped with the pressure on the government.

Following is the chronology of the build-up:

1. The PNGNA award was signed in May 2025 and was not implemented, resulting in PNGNA threatening the state with a possible strike on 1 April 2026. 

2. In late March, PNGNA, through its executive, resolved on a sit-in protest. The Department of Health, including the Minister for Health, met with the PNGNA Executive and informed them of a detailed response and payment schedule to be provided to them.

3. Department of Personnel Management (DPM) responded to PNGNA's ultimatum on 27 March, calling the move by PNGNA unlawful. DPM also assured PNGNA that the agreement was legally binding and the government was committed to implementing the award.

4. On the same day, PNGNA responded to DPM, stating that all administrative processes and avenues have been exhausted without any reasonable feedback from the state, with a clear timeline or even being budgeted in the 2026 national budget. 

5. On 27 March, PEA issued a solidarity statement for PNGNA calling on the government to settle outstanding health sector awards.

6. ON 30 March, PSI and ANMFSA issued a solidarity statement for PNGNA, reiterating the call made by PNGNA. 

7. On Tuesday, 31 March, the Secretary for Health responded to the PNGNA detailing the implementation schedule of the award.

8. On 1 April, the PNGNA Executive met with the Health Secretary, and after their meeting, the protest was called off, and PNGNA members were advised accordingly.  

The Papua New Guinea Nurses Association (PNGNA) plans to hold a nationwide sitting protest on 1 April asking the government to honour the Nurse Award 2025–2027. The agreement was signed in May 2025, but is still not reflected in the 2026 national budget. While the government said that it will pay the outstanding awards for 2025 to 2027, nurses said that they don't want a commitment, rather a clear timeline as to when the payments will be made.

Unions across the region have shown solidarity with them. PSI, representing 30 million workers globally, and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (SA Branch) both issued powerful solidarity statements backing PNGNA’s demands. The Public Employees Association of PNG (PNGPEA) also issued a strong statement in support of PNGNA's demands and their industrial action. The letters of support have created an added pressure on the government.

The letters place PNGNA’s struggle within the wider global fight against austerity, chronic understaffing, and the sustained underfunding of health systems. The organisations called on the Marape Government to urgently provide a clear implementation timeline, confirm budget allocations, and communicate transparently on the phased rollout of the agreement.

"PNGNA calls on the government to immediately provide a clear, dated implementation timeline; confirmation of budget allocation; and transparent rollout of plan for all provisions of the Award. Our protest is a legitimate and peaceful expression of collective concern. We stood by this nation in its most difficult times. It is now time for the government to stand by its commitment to the nurses. Enough delays, enough excuses. Time for implementation is now," said Frederick Goddard Kebai, President, Papua New Guinea Nurses Association.