The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) has called on the Minns government to put its extra share of federal health funding towards NSW nurses and midwives’ wages.
The Federal government has announced it would inject an additional $1.7 billion into the country’s public hospitals, which is a 12 per cent increase to the Commonwealth’s overall contribution.
NSWNMA Acting General Secretary, Michael Whaites, said the Association welcomed the additional boost in funding and urged the Minns government to now invest new money into its nursing and midwifery workforce.
Wage disparity
‘The Minns Labor government has repeatedly acknowledged that the nursing and midwifery workforce needs a pay rise but has said they just can’t afford to meet the amount needed to fix the current wage disparity. With this additional funding, the Minns government can come back to negotiations and direct this money towards wages for nurses and midwives,’ said Mr Whaites.
‘Emergency departments, mental health and maternity services in NSW are in a crisis driven by inadequate wages, but the Minns government is refusing to admit it, unlike the Federal government who is acknowledging that the public health system is worth investing in.
A strong and robust nursing and midwifery workforce
Mr Whaites said we can’t deliver the healthcare system the people of NSW deserve without a strong and robust nursing and midwifery workforce. ‘Without competitive rates of pay for our nurses and midwives here in NSW, we will continue to see them leave for better pay and conditions across the border, leaving wards and units short staffed and services closing.
“We call on the Minns Labor government to follow the lead of its Federal Labor counterparts and put the additional health funding into retaining its essential health workforce which is on its knees.’
Largest female-dominated workforce
NSWNMA President, O’Bray Smith, said the state’s largest female-dominated workforce continued to be left behind by the NSW government’s wages policy. ‘The gender pay gap continues to widen under this state Labor government because of low wages for our professions. The gender pay gap increased to 7.2 per cent in 2024, up from 6.2 per cent in 2023, making it the highest in more than a decade and this government’s wages policy is the problem.
‘Unlike the state Labor government, the federal Labor government is recognising and valuing its female-dominated workforces by supporting the historic pay rises for aged care workers and early childhood educators.
‘Nurses and midwives’ wages in Queensland and Victoria are between 10 per cent to 18 per cent higher than in NSW, resulting in our state having some of the lowest paid nurses and midwives in the country, which the NSW government is refusing to address.
Smith said the Liberal government may have inflicted this damage, but it is up to Labor to fix it. ‘Pay nurses and midwives in NSW what they deserve.’
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