NSW unions warn of exodus of nurses, teachers as election looms

Last year they went on strike— but unions are now warning the state’s essential workers are walking off the job for good, with teachers and nurses leaving the industry in droves.

After declaring 2022 the Year of the Strike, unions have warned 2023 will be the Year of the Hike, with a mass exodus of teachers and nurses and other frontline workers sparking a new industrial war ahead of the state election.

Having caused chaos for the state government over the past 12 months, unions will now directly target the Coalition in critical Western Sydney seats — and warned of more of the same if Labor doesn’t do a better pay deal.

A cost of living crisis in which inflation has surged eight per cent but public sector wages have only risen three per cent has led to critical staff shortages in hospitals and schools, as workers head for other opportunities interstate — especially Queensland.

Unreleased research obtained by The Daily Telegraph reveals the number of online job vacancies for registered nurses more than doubled between 2012 and 2022.

Vacancies for high school teachers quadrupled over the same period and vacancies for primary school teachers were five times higher.

NSW could see an exodus of critical workers in 2023, unions have warned. Picture: David Swift

Worse still, the problem has escalated over the past five years, meaning schools and hospitals already crippled by staffing shortages will only get worse if the pattern continues.

The Daily Telegraph has learned the crisis is set to prompt another wave of union action, with a “barnstorm” set to be launched in Western Sydney on February 19, ahead of a campaign targeting Coalition seats including Penrith, Parramatta, East Hills, Heathcote and Winston Hills.

Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey warned the government not to ignore the crisis as it had his warning of the Year of the Strike, only to see industrial chaos sweep through Sydney.

“One year ago, I predicted 2022 would be the year of the strike. Everywhere I went, union members were telling me the same thing: ‘I want to look after the sick or teach kids, but I simply can’t afford it,’” Mr Morey told The Daily Telegraph.

“Many told me they were planning to change industries or move interstate.”

“But instead of taking this seriously, Perrottet and Kean decided to play juvenile political games. ‘The unions are in a conspiracy with the Labor Party,’ they screamed, conveniently ignoring 10 per cent rent increases, $2 per litre petrol and $12 iceberg lettuce.”

Secretary of Unions NSW Mark Morey.

Mr Morey also warned unions would also be demanding higher wages from a Minns Labor government, scotching speculation last year’s strikes were merely a ruse to destabilise the Perrottet government.

The mass walkout claims are backed up by a recent study by the McKell Institute, which surveyed 2893 workers in the state’s schools, hospitals, prisons, transport network and emergency services.

It found a massive three out of ten have considered or are considering moving and working in the public sector interstate, with more than half of those thinking about going to Queensland.

Mr Morey said the state government had failed to take the unions’ resolve seriously.

“As predicted, nurses, teachers, prison officers and transport workers went on strike,” he said.

“They eventually eked out three per cent from the Government, but of course, when inflation is eight per cent, they are still going backwards,” he said.

NSW teachers marched on Parliament House in June. Picture: John Grainger

“Now rather than just walking off the job for a day, workers are walking off permanently.”

In the health system alone internet job vacancies for registered nurses rose by 205 per cent between 2012 and 2022 and for medical imaging professionals such as radiographers and sonographers, there was a doubling in vacancies.

Meanwhile teacher shortages rose by 400 for secondary schools and 500 per cent for primary schools, including a tripling of vacancy rates over the last five years alone.

Mr Morey said unions would also target Labor if they won the election and failed to deliver wage increases.

“Mr Perrottet and Mr Kean can hyperventilate all they like about unions and the Labor Party but I make this promise: We will hold Labor to account as well if they don’t deliver decent wages that allow us to rebuild essential services,” he said.