Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche. Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER
The government's chief negotiator says it's a mystery as to how close he is to signing a deal with teachers, doctors and nurses.
Tens of thousands of workers would walk off the job on Thursday, though the weather scuppered rallies in some parts of the country.
They are demanding better pay and working conditions, though the coalition claimed the industrial action was "politically motivated".
- Mega strike live blog: Stay up to date with latest from Thursday's industrial action
Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche told Morning Report he did not have a clear understanding of what the non-negotiables were.
"It's a mystery to me. I thought that we were very close with the PPTA. I met with the president twice over the course of the week.
"We listened to everything they said that was needed to be addressed. We did our best. We then found there was one last issue which we resolved and went back to them."
Roche said he thought they had gotten "close" with the secondary teachers union, and had offered to work through the weekend to avoid today's disruption.
"They chose not to accept [the offer] and in fact, rejected it out of hand, suggesting that we were being mischievous.
"I have absolutely no incentive to be clever or cute on any of this. That is not the way I do business. It is not the way we are conducting ourselves."
The unions have argued pay offers below the rate of inflation were effectively pay cuts for workers that did not keep up with the cost of living.
Roche said the rate of inflation was only one way of measuring a deal.
"It's very difficult to always keep pace with inflation. It's sort of ironic, if that's how we peg everything, when inflation goes down, do you end up paying some of it back?
"It is one of the measures. It's not the only measure but we're going to have to continue to find a way through this where they get fair reward and the New Zealand taxpayer gets good value."
Speaking to Morning Report while on holiday in Australia, Roche said he remained available to any negotiating parties.
"If there had been any prospect of bargaining, I would have been present. There was no prospect. This is a longstanding arrangement. The fact that I'm actually on holiday is largely irrelevant.
"We now have technology, which means you do not have to be physically present. I am very connected to the mood of what's happening and I'm very comfortable."
Roche said it was regrettable negotiations had failed and the mega-strike was going ahead.
"As far as I'm concerned, this matter has been locked and loaded for some time. We have done our best to break the inevitable actions but we have failed in that.
"I've got a very clear conscience that we have always been available to negotiate and bargain but you need two parties to do that and there's been an absence of a counter party. That's on their conscience."
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