What you said on Victorian nurses and midwives rejecting new pay deal

Nurses and midwives have been congratulated by fellow Victorians for turning down a ‘disappointing’ new pay deal. See what you said.

Victorian nurses and midwives have been praised for their rejection of the government’s latest pay offer by readers of the Herald Sun.

This week, members turned down the proposed deal citing ambiguity over their actual pay rise.

This uncertainty appeared to be a sticking point for members, with one nurse – Tara – telling the Herald Sun she was disappointed by the offer.

“The extra allowances were good, so I’m happy with those,” she said.

“It was more the overall wage increase that was confusing because of adding this aged care (issue).

“I’m not quite sure what the overall (increase) is, and I think that’s what people were unhappy about,” she said.

The rejection is the second in as many days, with Victoria Police also denying a proposed new pay deal.

Herald Sun readers congratulated the nurses for standing up and fighting for more.

Nurses have rejected a new pay offer from the state government. Picture: Brad Fleet

WHAT YOU SAID

‘The union needs to do better’

Tracey

As a former nurse, I never voted Labor. I always knew that life was always better under the Coalition. They always created the better business and tax conditions, therefore allowing them to offer better pay increases to more.

But I always knew the union reps, and those who fronted the nurses’ union always voted Labor. And publicly, the union was always Labor aligned. As is the CFMEU, as are all unions.

Maybe the time has come for nurses, ambos, police and firefighters, the boots on the ground, to start separating themselves from their union heads. They don’t have your best interests at heart. When you daub your trucks attacking the Coalition but not Labor. You are saying to the wider community, that you are more aligned with Labor. And given how poorly Labor has treated the rest of us, not just nurses, ambos and police, I do find that difficult to understand.

Catherine

Well done to all nurses today for not accepting the deal wage that ANF thought was satisfactory. The ANMF were surprised nurses voted no. Nurses should be disappointed that their own union were happy to sell them short.

The ANMF should take a few lessons from the CFMEU on satisfactory wage deals!

Patrick

Really? You think a nurse with 28 years experience and a degree is worth $44.50 only an hour! Get with the times. Oh sorry we are not construction workers!

Redrover

Well done. Stand up and fight. The ANMF wanted the easy way out because they are weak and lazy. Keep fighting you deserve far better for the hours you do and the work you do.

Dianne

I’m not sure the nurses’ union is putting patients first.

Peter

It’s time the current leadership of the union stands down. They were more than willing to sell nurses short.

NannyState

Looks like the nurses’ union was trying to sell its members down the river. Remember Jacinta Allen is happy to pay $206,000 a year for a lollipop person. Nurses deserve way better than what they were offered and the union should be ashamed.

Victorian nurses and midwives have been praised for their rejection of the government’s latest pay offer. Picture: Matt Turner

‘Nurses deserve more’

Andrew

Anyone in the industry deserves a very healthy pay increase. They are legends looking after us when in need.

Billy

GO NURSES! As the father of a nurse, I am disgusted by the way people treat our hard working caring, health workers. These people deserve every cent they can get.

Patrick

ALP looks after the CFMEU, but forgets nurses, police and teachers! Well done to the nurses!

We don’t value the work of this female dominated profession. Perhaps if it was male dominated they would receive a pay deal in line with construction workers!

Matt

If nurses held life saving stop signs it would be a different outcome.

Too Late To Leave

As a grateful patient of our magnificent nurses, it is insulting that the government undervalues their medical contributions to my welfare so much less than $120k plus lollipops’ stop/start traffic safety.

Sam

During the pandemic, the politicians were all clapping on their doorsteps and going over the top in their praise for our healthcare workers.

Who could possibly have foreseen that with the first chance they get they’d try to shortchange them?!

‘Nurses deserve better’ is a sentiment shared among readers. Picture: Wayne Taylor

‘There seems to be money for other pay rises’

Old School

Don’t forget the three SIGNIFICANT pay rises politicians received during Covid, while nurses (and ambos) worked their arses off... for nothing.

John

Would a real pay increase for nurses and now the police as well, mean that there would have to be a reduction in the number of advisors and media staff in the premiers private office?

James

Cut all politicians’ income by 80 per cent as well as ALL incentives and allowances. Then funnel all that money into sectors such as nursing, teaching, police, ambos, firefighters!

Rohan

Kind of hard to argue there is no money for nurses if you can find $35 billion for a train line.

Pedro

If public servants can get a 10.5% pay rise for looking out the window all day, then the nurses should be adequately paid for actually working hard under poor conditions.