Wage freeze threat to nurses isn’t over yet

CASINO nurses protest as wage proposal goes to Industrial Relations Commission.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Casino Branch president Shirley Roach outside Casino Post Office protesting against the state government's wage freeze.

ON THE very day nurses from Casino stood in protest against the state government’s wage freeze, the proposal was voted down in parliament.

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Casino Branch president Shirley Roach said while they were outside the Casino Post Office with their placards on Tuesday, June 2, parliament were meeting on the issue.

“Nurses are underpaid for the responsibility we have as nurses,” Ms Roach said.

“Rosters take us away from our families and we are at greater risk from COVID-19.”

The NSW Government’s announcement is ill timed given the pressure on nurses at the current time.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian remains resolute in her move to place a wage rise freeze on public sector employees after the proposal was voted down in state parliament. NSW Labor and the crossbench joined forces to disallow the motion with 22 MPs voting against it.

The opposition argued the move was unfair to the thousands of frontline workers who would be forced to forego a pay increase of up to 2.5 per cent in the next 12 months.

Ms Berejiklian said the proposal was the “least-worst option” for the state, arguing it would save $3 billion which would be invested in infrastructure projects to create more jobs.

The premier insisted none of the 450,000 public sector workers would lose their jobs if they received a pay freeze and attempted to propose a $1,000 bonus to all non-executive public service employees, which was rejected.

Ms Berejiklian has taken the proposal to the Industrial Relations Commission.

Ms Roach said the NSWNMA would keep an eye on the government’s next move.

The protest outside the post office was to make the community aware of what was happening and they were joined by Richmond Valley mayor Robert Mustow.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association protested outside Casino Post Office against the state government's wage freeze and were joined by mayor Robert Mustow.