Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) members will hold a 24 hour strike next Tuesday.
The strike action relates to the union’s feud with the State Government over pay and conditions.
NSWNMA General Secretary Shaye Candish said the union remained committed to finding a path forward, but the government had failed to negotiate despite repeatedly being implored to do so.
“Our hospitals are in crisis with increasing activity and increasing numbers of nurses and midwives leaving for better pay interstate. The public expects their local hospital to be well staffed, but the current wage setting for nurses and midwives means they cannot stay,” she said.
“We have genuinely tried to avert this action, but the government has simply failed to demonstrate a willingness to move.
“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 3 per cent pay offer is enough.
“It’s not acceptable for the state government to continue turning a blind eye to the pay inequity that is seriously undermining this state’s largest female-dominated workforce. We now have the lowest paid nurses and midwives in the country.
“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.
“It’s also clear when two major public sector unions are undertaking industrial action, that we have a government that is incapable of dealing with the issues at hand.”
NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary, Michael Whaites, added public sector workers were trying to repair the damage caused by the pervious Coalition government’s pay freeze.
“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,” he said.
“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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