Thousands of NSW nurses and midwives are striking across the state from this morning’s shift for 24-hours as they call for a wage increase of 15 per cent to make their wages competitive with other states.
A major public rally is being held from 12 to 1pm today at Jack Evans Boat Harbour in Tweed as well as rallies in Albury and Sydney where union members will ask the NSW government to increase their wages above the three per cent baseline and provide NSW wages in line with wages in Queensland and Victoria.
‘The government seems to forget that nurses and midwives are leaving for better wages and conditions in Queensland and Victoria, where wages are between 10 and 22 per cent higher,’ explained NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) General Secretary Shaye Candish.
‘Our members are desperate to provide the safe level of care NSW patients need when seeking treatment inside public hospitals, but instead of their skilled work being remunerated accordingly, their employer believes a baseline three per cent pay offer is enough.
‘We have genuinely tried to avert this action, but the government has simply failed to demonstrate a willingness to move. The state government had been given ample opportunity to work with the union, but there had been no genuine attempt to negotiate on the pay and conditions claim.
‘The state government could have stopped this industrial action from occurring by coming to the table with an improved offer, but it has chosen to ignore us repeatedly,’ said Ms Candish.
‘Nurses and midwives are outraged by the government’s unwillingness to negotiate beyond its insulting three per cent offer, especially since we found the savings to fund the pay rise.
‘If the government doesn’t heed our warnings and deliver a decent pay increase, we will see more nurses and midwives leave the system, and patients will be the ones to suffer the consequences.’
Public invited
You are welcome to support nurses and midwives at their rally today at Jack Evans Boat Harbour as they call for wage parity to nurses and midwives just a few kilometers away in Queensland.
NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary, Michael Whaites, said public sector workers were trying to repair the damage caused by the previous Coalition government’s pay freeze in 2011.
The government has acknowledged the pay gaps are driving the recruitment and retention crisis in our public hospitals, but it is now clear that after four months of negotiation they are yet to do any work towards putting an improved offer to our members,’ said Mr Whaites.
‘It’s clear this government is failing to listen to its largest female-dominated workforce, instead they expect nurses and midwives to sit down and be quiet and continue to pay 2024 bills on 2008 wages.
‘We support our colleagues across the union movement in attempting to redress the harm caused by the previous government’s wages policy, and at this stage it seems the Minns government is no different.’
The NSWNMA has confirmed minimal, life-preserving staffing will be maintained in public hospitals and health services during the 24-hour strike from next Tuesday morning.
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