Public sector nurses and midwives from across New South Wales will strike for more than 12 hours, starting at 7am on Tuesday.
Thousands of NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) members will walk of the job from 7am-7.30pm to fight for a 15 per cent one-year pay increase.
NSWNMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish, said members were sick and tired of being “undervalued, overworked, and not listened to”.
“The State Government is not bargaining in good faith. Not once in our 10 negotiation meetings has the government sat at the table and discussed nurses and midwives’ pay. That’s despite us finding significant cost savings through our Rapid Business Case,” said Candish.
“Nurses and midwives shouldn’t have to foot the bill for safe staffing ratios in our public hospitals and forgo a decent pay rise – there’s no other workforce that’s been required to pay for their own resources.
“NSW Labor was elected on a platform of gender equity and supporting women in work. They’re now refusing to fix the gender pay gap and not deliver the state’s largest female-dominated workforce fair and reasonable pay.
“It’s clear the state government is choosing to pay nurses and midwives the lowest wages in the country, and it will continue to see our public health system fall apart if it doesn’t pay nurses and midwives enough to stay in NSW.”
Minimal, life-preserving staffing will be maintained in public hospitals and health services during the 12-hour strike.
Health Minister Ryan Park said the NSWNMA should cancel tomorrow’s action.
“There is no doubt this strike action will impact on our public health system, from longer waits in emergency rooms to cancelled non-emergency surgeries,” he said.
“While all local health districts have plans in place to minimise disruption, the strikes will very likely affect people seeking care.
“We assure the community they should not hesitate to go to their local hospital for emergency care.”
NSW Health has also already started to contact people across the state whose planned surgeries will need to be postponed because of the strikes.
Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said Labor’s failure to negotiate an outcome comes after successive budget cuts and empty promises.
“It’s shocking that a government claiming to care about essential workers can let it get to this point. Nurses and midwives should be in our hospitals caring for patients, not out on the streets striking while the Government can’t get its act together,” Speakman said.
Shadow Health Minister Kellie Sloane said that our nurses have been failed by the government.
“Ryan Park and Chris Minns need to front up, take responsibility for the chaos and apologise to the people whose healthcare will be impacted by this strike tomorrow.
Chris Minns promised stability, but all he’s delivered is bungled promises and deliveries,” she said.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.