Industrial Relations Commission slams 24-hour nurses strike

Nurses will strike for 24 hours on Wednesday, defying the Industrial Relations Commission’s concerns about the safety of patients, and its call that the action is unlawful.

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association General Secretary, Shaye Candish. Picture: Tim Hunter.

As nurses across the state prepare to walk off the job for 24 hours on Wednesday, the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) has criticised the nurse’s union for forging ahead with the strike after ruling the action unlawful.

The strike is the latest in the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association’s rolling industrial action, with the last strike in September resulting in elective surgery being postponed and a blow out of emergency wait times.

The union is calling for a 15 per cent wage increase and safer working environments, despite the Minns government only offering a three per cent pay increase.

In late September the union agreed to the recommendations of the IRC to halt their ongoing industrial action and accept an interim three per cent pay rise while wage negotiations continue with NSW Health.

At a hearing on Friday, the IRC accused the Nurses Union of “acting contrary to the commitment it gave the commission” to cease their industrial action during the negotiation period.

S Nurses and Midwives marched to state parliament in September as part of their 24 hour strike to demand better pay and for the NSW government to better value their professions. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard

In a transcript of the hearing the Commissioner said that the union had “twice contravened orders to cease to organise industrial action” and that he was “concerned that they may have the intention to do so again”.

“Industrial action next Wednesday is unnecessary,” the commissioner said.

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park urged nurses to not proceed with Wednesday’s strike. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“It will cost nurses pay and cause inconvenience and worse to patients and their families.”

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park urged the union not to proceed with the strike and said NSW Health had begun contingency planning to mitigate risks to patients.

He said the government had been in intensive negotiations over the last four weeks and was disappointed the union had “backtracked on their commitment” not to engage in industrial action.

“The parties reached in-principle agreement on each and every non-wage claim sought by the Association, including: consecutive days off; no night shifts before annual leave; no changes on published roster without consultation and additional union consultation,” he said.

“We worked through a range of options to fund and deliver a new increased wage offer and we have asked the Industrial Relations Commission to progress the matter to arbitration.”

Nurses and Midwives Association General Secretary, Shaye Candish. Picture: Tim Hunter.

NSWNMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish, said the union had been forced to take this action, after no progress on pay had been made during the four-week intensive negotiation period.

“Almost 70,000 public sector nurses and midwives across the state are worse off, and they will continue to slip further down the pay and conditions ladder, if this government doesn’t step up and deliver a decent wage increase for its single largest female workforce,” she said.