 And about 30,000 nurses in New Zealand walked off their jobs in a nationwide 8-hour strike after negotiations with the government for better pay and working conditions failed. The strike action came after the New Zealand Nurses Organization rejected a 1.4% pay hike proposed by the District Health Board earlier this week. The government says the nurses' demands amounted to a 17% increase that it can't afford but pledged to continue negotiations. Thousands of nurses marched on the streets holding placards while others gathered at parks and outside hospitals around the country. About fresh news updates.