NSWNMA members Kylie Norris, Raj Janday and Olivia Brasington protest in Griffith. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Nurses and midwives across NSW undertook strike action for the second time in a fortnight, leaving their hospitals on Tuesday (10 September) to protest against poor pay and conditions.
Their union – the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) – has asked the NSW Government for a 15 per cent pay increase, an amount it says will bring pay rates in this state in line with Victoria and Queensland.
Kristy Wilson, the Griffith branch secretary for the NSWNMA, says negotiations are not progressing.
“The government says that they’re sitting down and bargaining in good faith. But they’ve not in any of the meetings come back with a better pay offer than what they initially put out. They’re not bargaining; it’s all talk,” she said.
“We did have orders against us to not strike, but we feel so strongly about that we’ve defied those orders. We’re in for the long haul; we’ll take this as far as we need to.”
Griffith nurses and midwives marched along the main street Banna Avenue, before having a barbecue with supporters at Memorial Park, for which sausages were donated to them by Foodworks Supermarket and Coles.
Nurses in Griffith previously took industrial action just two weeks ago, on 29 August.
On that occasion, first year nurse Cilla Pavese told Region she’d had a difficult start to her career.
“It’s an enjoyable job, but it’s so tough. We don’t get paid enough for what we do; there’s an expectation that we must do extra work not related to our role. It’s not fair that nurses in other states are getting pay rises and we get nothing,” she said.
First-year nurse Cilla Pavese joined the protest two weeks ago. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Ms Wilson said there was a danger NSW would continue to lose hospital staff.
“Victoria just got a substantial pay rise. That means we are now the lowest paid in the state,” she said.
“The 15 per cent pay rise will only just bring us in line with other states; we’ll be able to stop bleeding our staff to Queensland and Victoria.
“It’s quite shameful to become the worst paid nurses in the country; I’m sure it’s not something that [NSW Premier] Chris Minns wants to be in his memoir.”
While nurses have undertaken strike action up to a dozen times over the past five years and been frustrated with both Coalition and Labor governments, Ms Wilson said she will not give up.
“We are doing this for the community and for our hospital. If we don’t stand up now, we won’t have nurses and midwives in NSW; they’ll leave and head to Queensland … this won’t be the last time we do this.”
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