Thousands of nurses go on strike in New Zealand

About 30,000 nurses in New Zealand walked off their jobs on Wednesday in a nationwide eight-hour strike after negotiations with the government for better pay and working conditions failed. The strike action came after the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) 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.