Why nurses want to walk off the job in NSW for the first time in almost a decade

NSW nurses have revealed why they want to take strike action for the first time in almost a decade during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nurses in NSW have voted to take strike action for the first time in almost a decade, saying the Covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted staffing and pay issues.

Thousands of midwives and nurses are expected to walk off the job for up to 24 hours on February 15 when state parliament resumes, which will heap extra pressure on already stretched hospitals.

The full extent of the strike action is not yet know because some branches are still voting on the issue, but the majority have met and overwhelmingly voted in favour of it.

NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association general secretary Brett Holmes said workers had been campaigning for nurse-to-patient ratios on a shift-by-shift basis for almost 10 years.

“What they’ve been through in the last two years has strengthened their determination to get this NSW government to understand that to give them hope for the future they need a commitment … to deliver on proper staffing on every shift, certainly outside of this pandemic,” he told the Today show on Wednesday.

Thousands of nurses will walk off the job next week. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Daniel Pockett

“So nurse-to-patient ratios, decent staffing for midwives so that they match the number of mothers and babies that they’ve got to look after, and decent recognition in their pay for the work that they undertake and the value that they add to the community.

“I don’t think anyone could quibble with the idea that nurses and midwives and other health workers have worked extraordinarily hard, and they deserve financial recognition as well as pats on the back.”

Mr Holmes said members had been asked to leave behind enough staff to deliver life-preserving care during the strike action.

“The health system prepared itself for a massive loss of nurses during the worst of the Delta and Omicron outbreaks, so they’ve got plans and we’re saying, ‘Well, you can test them now and see what it’s like without the nurses at the bedside’,” he said.

“I think the community understand that nurses and midwives take this sort of action as a last resort.

“They are desperate to tell the NSW government that we need a better health system, we need a health system where there are enough nurses and midwives on every shift to look after the patients in their care.”

NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association general secretary Brett Holmes says thousands of nurses have voted to walk off the job. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

WHAT THE NURSES AND MIDWIVES WANT:

• Implement shift-by-shift nursing and midwifery staffing ratios for safe patient care;
• Commit to a pay rise above 2.5 per cent, recognising the work they do, all that has been asked of them during the pandemic and compensate for the pay loss in 2020; and
• Withdraw the amendment to the Workers’ Compensation Act that would force workers to prove they contracted Covid-19 at work.

“We don’t recommend industrial action lightly, especially when a pandemic is still underway, but the status quo can’t continue and we can’t return to pre-Covid-19 staffing levels when we were already in crisis,” Mr Holmes said in a statement.

“We’ve encouraged our NSWNMA members to consider what must be done to demand change.

“If the Premier wants a well-staffed, well trained and resilient nursing and midwifery workforce in the public health system, then he must act now and implement shift-by-shift ratios across NSW.

“This crisis should never have happened and can never happen again. We must stand up for all nurses, midwives and patients.”

Originally published as Why nurses want to walk off the job in NSW for the first time in almost a decade