Strike banned: Crisis talks crumble ahead of historic nurse walkout

Nurses have replied after being officially banned from taking strike action across NSW as crisis talks with the government broke down.

Crisis talks between health authorities and nursing industry representatives have failed to reach a resolution ahead of a planned strike on Tuesday.

Thousands of midwives and nurses are expected to walk off the job for up to 24 hours on February 15 as state parliament resumes.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard met with representatives from the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association on Monday, but no agreement could be reached to address staffing issues and pay rates.

NSW Health then sought the assistance of the Industrial Relations Commission, which resulted in the strike action being banned.

“The IRC ordered the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association to immediately cease organising and refrain from taking any form of industrial action tomorrow,” a NSW Health spokesperson said.

“It also must not authorise or encourage members of the union to organise or take industrial action.”

Health Minister Brad Hazzard was due for a sit-down with the union on Monday, Premier Dominic Perrottet said. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

Nursing industry represenatives say the action will go ahead as planned.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet told reporters in the lead up to Monday’s sit down he was not confident of reaching an agreement.

“I look forward to hopefully reaching a resolution – do I expect that to occur by tomorrow? No, but that doesn’t mean we don’t start working to reach that agreement,” Mr Perrottet said.

Thousands of nurses and midwives from more than 150 public hospitals have voted in favour of a strike on Tuesday amid calls for better staffing and more pay.

Nurses are fighting for a pay rise of more than 2.5 per cent to compensate for the pay freeze, which was imposed just as the pandemic began in 2020.

It will be the largest industrial action taken by nurses across the state since 2013 and comes just days after non-urgent elective surgery was reintroduced.

Nurses are set to strike for the first time since 2013. Picture: Adam Ward

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association general secretary Brett Holmes said while many nurses don’t support industrial action, they are at breaking point.

“We don’t recommend industrial action lightly, especially when a pandemic is still underway, but the status quo can’t continue,” he said.

“We can’t return to pre-Covid-19 staffing levels when we were already in crisis.”

Nurses at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney’s inner west are preparing for a full-day strike, while Westmead and Cumberland hospitals are expected to strike for 12 hours.

Enough staff to care for critically ill patients will remain at work.

Nurses will also rally across the state, with many taking to NSW parliament on the first sitting day of the year.

Tuesday’s industrial action will be the first since July 2013, as hospitals across NSW remain on high alert for Covid-19 patients.

Nurses across NSW are preparing to walk off the job for the first time in a decade.

“If the premier wants a well-staffed, well trained and resilient nursing and midwifery workforce in the public health system, then he must act now and implement shift by shift ratios across NSW,” Mr Holmes said.

Mr Holmes said the union is pushing for a pay rise above 2.5 per cent and no changes to compensation for Covid-19 workers.

The union has been pushing to meet with Premier Dominic Perrottet for weeks to discuss concerns.

“The staffing crisis in health won’t simply go away as Covid-19 case numbers reduce,” Mr Holmes said.

“What we’re asking for is not unreasonable. There’s evidence nurse-to-patient ratios do save lives and result in better patient outcomes.”