Retail workers earning more than first- and third-year registered nurses in NSW

An ad for a job at a gelato store reveals a grim reality for NSW’s nurses, who are preparing to strike in their thousands as they struggle to pay “2024 bills” while earning “2008 wages”.

An advertisement for a job scooping and making gelato has revealed a grim reality for nurses across the state, as thousands prepare to walk off the job on Tuesday in a fight for better pay.

The job, posted to a local community group and forwarded to this masthead by a member of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, advertises full-time and part-time positions at a Messina store in Sydney’s southeast with a starting hourly rate higher than a first-year registered nurse.

According to the post, the job offers a minimum hourly rate of $35.76, and up to $40.55 an hour, for serving and making ice cream.

A job advertisement on Facebook, offering better hourly rates than those earned by nurses.

By comparison, first-year registered nurses earn $35.55 an hour. Those in their third year pocket $39.17.

Retail giant Cotton On Group is also advertising similarly lucrative full-time and part-time positions, with hourly rates of $35.48.

The situation is even worse for enrolled/endorsed nurses, who have gone to TAFE as opposed to university. In their fourth year, they earn 17 per cent less than registered nurses.

A member of the association said a friend, who knew she was considering leaving the profession, had sent her both job openings.

“Why would you want to work hard in nursing when you can earn more in retail or (by) moving interstate?” the member asked.

“It’s thankless work, which is not reflected in the pay.

“Senior nurses who have never wanted to do anything else are leaving, and we’re left with departments full of juniors and no one to teach them”.

Inset: A second job advertisement offering more money than first-year registered nurses.

Kerry Rodgers, a union delegate and vice-president of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association at Nepean Hospital, said nurses earned “2008 wages” but had to pay “2024 bills”.

“NSW’s nurses are the lowest paid in the country and, as a result, we are losing a huge amount to go work in Queensland,” Ms Rodgers said

“A first-year registered nurse in NSW earns $12,000 less than one in Queensland, and $10,000 less than one in Victoria.”

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association nurses from St Vincent's Private Hospital in Lismore have rallied against a backflip on a promised pay increase, and say strike action is likely. Picture: NSWNMA

Asked about nurses’ pay, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said “nothing was more important” than investing in essential health workers.

“Nothing is more important to me as Minister for Health than investing in our essential health workers, we are still in negotiations, and I remain at the table and will always work in good faith,” Mr Park said

“The strike action proposed is serious, and I’m concerned it’s been taken.

“Of course, we will have contingencies in place to minimise disruption to patient care.

“I ask nurses and the association to look at what we have delivered and what we are delivering together, including ending the Liberals’ wages cap and rolling out safe staffing in our hospitals.”

More than 50,000 nurses plan to walk off the job on Tuesday in a fight for more pay after the state government missed a crucial deadline to offer a new pay agreement to the union.

From 7am, members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association will strike for 12-and-a-half hours, with the widespread industrial action to result in delays for elective surgery.