NSW Health Minister ‘disappointed’ over nurses’ walkout as pay dispute stalls

A planned walkout by nurses and midwives in one Australian state has been slammed by an “extremely concerned” government.

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park has slammed a planned 24-hour walkout announced by the nurses’ union amid a breakdown in negotiations over a pay rise.

Members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, or NSWNMA, will strike for one day from the beginning of the morning shift on Tuesday.

The NSWNMA said only minimal and “life-preserving” nursing staff will work throughout the walkout in public hospitals and health services.

The union accused the state government of failing to “demonstrate willingness to negotiate in good faith by close of business yesterday”.

Mr Park said he was “deeply concerned” about what impact the walkout would have on patients following a strike earlier this month.

“I’m extremely concerned of the massive impact that it will have on people waiting and relying on important elective surgery,” he said.

“The last strike, nearly 500 people were impacted, people who needed cancer treatment, people who needed dialysis … this is a huge burden on our community.”

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park. Picture:NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

Mr Park said the state government accepted recommendations by the Industrial Relations Commission, and was willing “remain at the table” as directed by the IRC.

The powerful industrial commission recommended nurses’ receive an interim 3 per cent pay increase as negotiations continued, with industrial action to cease.

Critically, Mr Park said it was “not possible” to deliver that increase, which would have been back paid, if the strike action planned for Tuesday went ahead.

“This is an independent umpire you asked for. We as a government, accept their judgment,” he said.

“We ask nurses and midwives to do the same, allow their members to get money in their pockets now that is back paid.

“And, allow the discussions to continue to go on over the days and months ahead, as recommended by the Industrial Relations Commission.”

NSWNMA General Secretary Shaye Candish said the union remained committed to finding a path forward, but that the state government had failed to negotiate.

“Our hospitals are in crisis with increasing activity and increasing numbers of nurses and midwives leaving for better pay interstate,” Ms Candish said.

Nurses and midwives will strike for 24-hours across NSW next week. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“The public expects their local hospital to be well staffed, but the current wage setting for nurses and midwives means they cannot stay.

“We have genuinely tried to avert this action, but the government has simply failed to demonstrate a willingness to move.”

Thousands of nurses walked of the job earlier this month across Sydney and regional NSW demanding better pay and in defiance of an order not to do so.

The Industrial Relations Commission had ordered the union to call off the strike amid ongoing negotiations with the NSW government.

The state government earlier offered a three-year 10.5 per cent pay rise to NSW public sector workers, which would have included nurses.

The union has for more than a year been calling on Premier Chris Minns to implement a 15 per cent pay rise for NSW nurses who it says are the lowest paid in Australia.

Speaking on the recent strike, the Premier told 2GB radio a 15 per cent pay rise would cost as much as $6.5 billion – “more than we spend the entire police force”.

“I think police, teachers, corrections officers, paramedics would rightly knock on my door the next day and say we want 15 per cent as well,” the Premier said.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said a 15 per cent pay increase would cost billions. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Ms Candish said NSW’s nurses and midwives were leaving for better wages and conditions in Queensland and Victoria, where wages are between 10 and 22 per cent higher.

“It’s clear when two major public sector unions are undertaking industrial action, that we have a government that is incapable of dealing with the issues at hand,” she said.

NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Michael Whaites added that the state government had acknowledged pay gaps were driving a “recruitment and retention crisis”.

“But it is now clear that after four months of negotiation they are yet to do any work towards putting an improved offer to our members,” Mr Whaites said.

“This government is failing to listen to its largest female-dominated workforce, instead them to sit down and be quiet and continue to pay 2024 bills on 2008 wages.”