Nurse protests have been staged several times in the Riverina over the past few years. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Nurses and midwives across NSW are once again taking industrial action over pay and conditions, with the general public invited to support them at rallies in Wagga, Griffith and Leeton on Thursday (25 July).
NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) Wagga delegate president Karen Hart says the Murrumbidgee Local Health District has 280 full-time vacancies, with staff leaving “in droves” for better paid jobs in Queensland and Victoria.
“We are the lowest paid in Australia. In June alone, 22 full-time staff left. Nurses and midwives are either going interstate or they’re opting to do agency [contract] work for better pay.
“In Queensland, a new grad nurse is on $12,000 more than a NSW grad nurse. Victoria have just received a pay rise, so this will impact on the Murrumbidgee.”
The NSWNMA has asked for a 15 per cent pay rise, which it says will make wages more competitive with what their counterparts are earning interstate.
“The rate of pay for this female dominated workforce is failing to keep pace with male dominated professions,” NSWNMA General Secretary Shaye Candish said.
“If we’re serious about closing the gender pay gap, if we’re serious about providing women economic security, then raising the pay of nurses and midwives will go a long way in achieving those aims.
“Nurses and midwives are feeling the cost-of-living pinch. They’re struggling to find affordable and secure housing in reasonable proximity to their workplaces and they’re being slugged parking fees at many public hospitals.”
Wagga members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association protested outside the Wagga Base Hospital for better nurse-to-patient ratios in 2022. Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen.
The NSWNMA has staged several protest rallies over the past five years, mostly against the previous Coalition government. The union began negotiating new pay and conditions with the NSW Labor Government on 3 July, but says it’s not making much progress.
“We had hope when the new government came in, but they can’t implement safe ratios while NSW nurses and midwives are leaving in droves interstate. They’re throwing money away by not investing in recruitment and retention of senior staff,” Ms Hart said.
The Wagga nurse said their fight was as much about better working conditions as it was about pay.
“One of the things we want is for employees to get two days in a row for their weekly break,” Ms Hart said.
“What other profession is expected to work without having a weekend?”
She said that ultimately patients suffered when nurses were treated badly.
“We are doing 18-hour shifts and we are saving lives … when there’s fatigue, mistakes are made.
“We would really appreciate the community joining us to stand up for health services in the bush.”
All Riverina protests will be held on Thursday 25 July. The Wagga rally will occur at the lights on the corner of Docker and Edwards streets between noon and 2 pm. The Griffith rally will take place outside the carpark of the hospital between 2 and 3 pm, while in Leeton it will be held in front of the hospital public gate between 1:30 and 2:30 pm.
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