Northern NSW nurses and midwives launch mass strike action

Northern NSW nurses and midwives have vowed they won’t give up on better pay and working conditions as they took to the streets joining thousands of others in a statewide strike on Wednesday.

The crowd of nurses and midwives taking part in a 24 hour state- wide rally in the Coffs Harbour city centre.

Northern New South Wales nurses and midwives have vowed they won’t give up on better pay and working conditions as they took to the streets joining thousands of others in a statewide strike on Wednesday.

NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) members launched the strike action for 24 hours from the start of Wednesday’s morning shift.

The strike meant the union members had to forfeit a day’s pay to protest, with NSW Health Minister calling the statewide industrial action “disappointing”.

In the Tweed, 400 nurses and midwives rallied at Faux Park on Minjungbal Dr.

President of the Coffs Harbour NSW Nurses and Midwifery Association Amanda Bailey Derrett in Coffs Harbour city centre for the nurses rally on Wednesday November 13.

Tweed Hospital Branch President Kristin Ryan-Agnew, a nurse for more than 40 years, told this publication on Wednesday the protest had “great spirit” considering the announcement that the NSW Police Force on Tuesday was offered an almost 40 per cent pay increase.

Ms Ryan-Agnew said paramedics, teachers and police had all received a pay rise – but nurses and midwives had remained “disappointingly overlooked”.

“Police can protect themselves with guns, tasers, handcuffs and training – but nurses cannot,” Ms Ryan-Agnew said.

“Nurses get spat at and beaten up on a daily basis and there’s not a damn thing we can do about it. It’s just expected we roll with the punches because of this particular cohort of patients.”

Ms Ryan-Agnew said the government’s inability to improve nurses’ pay and working conditions demonstrated they “do not value their nursing staff”.

“It’s demoralising,” she said.

“We are the lowest-paid nurses in the whole country. Everyone has this expectation we live on nothing, we do up to 16-hour days and it’s awful.

“We are asking for a decent pay rise that will allow us to live.”

Ms Ryan-Agnew has been told by staff if this campaign fails, they will resign and relocate across the border to Queensland.

In Lismore, more than 200 nurses and midwives descended on Spinks Park before taking their plight to local MP Janelle Saffin.

More than 200 nurses and midwives gathered outside State Labor MP Janelle Saffin’s office in Lismore today calling on the state government to honour a fair pay rise to keep NSW competitive with the rest of the country and to stop the exodus of healthcare staff from Northern NSW.

Ms Saffin said: “Nurses and midwives tell me they are working long hours, often with unpaid overtime in understaffed hospitals to keep up the level of care the community deserves, while being paid at lower rates than their interstate counterparts.

“I welcome the Minns Government removal of the wages cap for nurses and the progress we have made in nurse retention levels and safe staffing, but there is more to do.”

Fed-up nurses and midwives from Coffs Harbour and surrounds rallied in the Coffs Harbour city centre on November 13.

NSWNMA Lismore Base Hospital Branch President Penelope Anderson said nurses and midwives had been “pushed to the limit”.

“We haven’t had a real pay rise in about 15 years,” Ms Anderson said.

“Some workers have left the profession because they feel so crushed and heartbroken at the lack of appreciation. Calling us heroes and paying lip service doesn’t pay the bills.”

More than 200 nurses and midwives gathered in Spinks Park in Lismore today calling on the state government to honour a fair pay rise to keep NSW competitive with the rest of the country and to stop the exodus of healthcare staff from Northern NSW.

“All we want is to be competitive with the rest of the country.

“We want the government to give us a respectful pay offer that stops us from leaving to other states, or leaving the profession.

Bellingen nurses rallied with Coffs Harbour nurses in a state wide 24 hour strike. Left to right Katie Bloomquist, Michaela Keirle, Elisa Schroder and Allison Self.

In Coffs Harbour a crowd of around 350 nurses cheered as a passer-by called to them in solidarity —“You’re the lowest paid nurses in Australia”.

Low pay is something Coffs Harbour Branch President of the NSWNMA Amanda Bailey-Derrett knows all about.

“Nurses are still leaving in droves to go to Queensland or the ACT where they can immediately get a pay rise of between $10,000 to $20,000,” she said.

Ms Bailey-Derrett said nurses and midwives are angrier since the last strike action and have no choice but to keep striking until they get better pay and ratios.

“The NSWNMA members feel that the system is in crisis and if nothing is done soon then we’re going to be in big trouble.”

Bellingen nurse Katie Bloomquist rallied alongside her colleagues from Coffs Harbour as part of a 24 hour statewide strike.

Health Minister Ryan Park expressed his “disappointment” at the industrial action claiming there would be cancelled surgeries and disruptions despite an agreement they had with the union not to strike.

“I am disappointed that today, around 700 people are likely not to have surgery proceed, and we will see impacts on health services across New South Wales,” he said.

He said the government understands nurses and midwives want better pay conditions and over the last few weeks, it has put forward proposals, including pay increases for Registered Nurses (RNs).

He said the government sat down with the union and the independent umpire – the Industrial Relations Commission – to discuss pay increases.

Mr Park said a 15 per cent pay hike in one year was “not possible” and their proposal around a multi-year deal of that 15 per cent was not agreed to.