Tensions are running high across New South Wales as nurses and midwives prepare for a 24-hour strike on Wednesday, fueled by outrage over a stark pay disparity compared to a recent agreement for police officers. The bitter wage dispute between the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) and the Minns government has reached a boiling point, with healthcare workers demanding fair compensation amid rising costs and burnout.
Police Pay Deal Sparks Fury Among Nurses and Midwives
The catalyst for the strike action was a pay agreement reached between the Police Association of NSW and the state government on Monday. Under the deal, NSW police are set to become the nation’s highest-paid, with wage increases ranging from 20.5% to a staggering 39.4% over four years. Association president Kevin Morton hailed the offer as “the highest pay increases achieved in the last 30 years for NSW police.”
In stark contrast, the NSWNMA has been locked in negotiations with the government since April, with no movement on a blanket 10.5% pay rise offered over three years for all NSW public-sector workers. The union had initially asked for an immediate 15% wage increase, citing higher rates of pay in other states and the mounting cost-of-living crisis.
Gendered Workforce Disparity Fuels Anger
NSWNMA general secretary Shaye Candish expressed the fury felt by many nurses and midwives, describing the government’s refusal to budge on their offer to the “biggest female dominated workforce” as “very clearly gendered.” Candish pointed out the stark difference in treatment between gendered workforces, noting that paramedics, firefighters, and police have been able to sit down and negotiate meaningfully with the government.
“We cannot get the government to sit down and negotiate with us meaningfully,” Candish said. “Meanwhile, we’ve got paramedics, firies and police able to sit down and negotiate with the government … There’s very clear difference in how the gendered workforces are being treated.”
Nurses and Midwives Struggle to Make Ends Meet
The pay disparity has left NSW nurses and midwives as the lowest-paid in the country, leading many to leave the state for better compensation elsewhere. Candish emphasized the dire situation faced by healthcare workers, stating that they are “on 2008 wages” while “paying 2024 prices for goods and services.”
“They’re at a point now where they’re struggling to put food on the table and make ends and meet in this current cost-of-living crisis,” Candish said. “They’re being forced to take more overtime to try and make ends meet, which is only contributing to more burnout, and the conditions that they’re working under are worse than they are in other states.”
Government Defends Stance, Points to Election Promises
Premier Chris Minns defended the government’s position, repeatedly referencing Labor’s election promise to improve nurse-to-patient ratios, a billion-dollar commitment. Minns claimed that the NSWNMA had not raised the issue of wage increases prior to the election, stating, “When we spoke to nurses and their association, they said to us … our number one priority is ratios, and that was a billion-dollar promise.”
The premier also argued that the NSWNMA was “not prepared to make changes” like other unions across the state, leaving the government with “less to play with.” He emphasized that Labor’s offer was 40% higher than what the previous Coalition government had proposed.
Statewide Strike to Impact Patient Care
The 24-hour statewide strike, set to begin from the start of the morning shift on Wednesday, is expected to have significant impacts on the healthcare system. Rallies are planned for Sydney and regional centers, with members calling on the Minns government to address the wage disparity.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park expressed disappointment in the NSWNMA’s decision to proceed with the strike, stating that the union had previously agreed to cease industrial action contingent on the government paying an interim increase while negotiations continued. Park said the strike would result in “planned surgeries being postponed and longer wait times in our emergency departments.”
The Path Forward: Fair Pay and Improved Conditions
As nurses and midwives across NSW prepare to take a stand for fair compensation and improved working conditions, the outcome of this bitter pay dispute remains uncertain. The stark contrast between the police pay agreement and the offer made to the predominantly female healthcare workforce has exposed a gendered divide that demands urgent attention.
The Minns government must recognize the critical role nurses and midwives play in the state’s healthcare system and the toll that low wages and burnout are taking on these essential workers. By engaging in meaningful negotiations and addressing the wage disparity, the government can demonstrate its commitment to valuing and supporting the vital contributions of nurses and midwives.
As the strike action unfolds and the impact on patient care becomes evident, the pressure will mount on both sides to find a resolution that prioritizes fair pay, improved conditions, and the long-term sustainability of the healthcare workforce. The future of NSW’s nurses and midwives, and the patients they serve, hangs in the balance.
