‘The status quo can’t continue’: NSW nurses to strike for first time in almost a decade on Tuesday

By DANIEL LO SURDO

Public hospital nurses across New South Wales will strike for the first time in almost a decade this Tuesday as frustrations over working conditions, pay and staffing continue to grow.

The strike will take place following a majority of voters in the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) supporting the industrial action on Tuesday, which will coincide with NSW Parliament’s first sitting day of the year.

NSW hospitals continue to remain strained following the growth of the most recent Omicron variant, which has surged hospitalisations and intensive care admissions across the state during the summer period.

It’s estimated that thousands will strike for up to 24 hours, with only a skeleton staff, which will concentrate its efforts on the critically ill and preserving life, remaining at work.

Those taking industrial action will primarily ask the NSW government to implement nursing and midwifery staffing ratios, which has been used in Victoria and Queensland.

NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes said that introducing staffing ratios will form a “well-staffed, well trained and resilient nursing and midwifery workforce in the public health system”, adding that “we don’t recommend industrial action lightly, especially when a pandemic is still underway, but the status quo can’t continue”.

A rally outside NSW Parliament has been organised by the NSW Greens, with State Member for Newtown Jenny Leong saying that nurses and midwives have been subjected to “completely unacceptable working conditions” throughout the pandemic, and that calls for safe patient to staff ratios and fair pay “have not been listened to”.

Greens Legislative Council member Cate Faehrmann has led the push for a new NurseKeeper payment to be installed in NSW, with almost 15,000 people (as of writing) having sent emails to Premier Dominic Perrottet calling on the support program to be installed.

The proposed plan would include an immediate bonus of $5000 to all nurses and paramedics in the public health system, an additional $5000 in 12 months as an additional retention measure, and a pandemic payment of $60 per shift, consistent with what has been implemented in Victoria under Health Minister Martin Foley.

Last month, Mr Perrottet confirmed that he had entered into discussions with Treasurer Matt Kean about a payment scheme for health care workers, saying that “we’ll look at that moving forward”.