A 3 per cent wage rise with a possible ‘productivity’ bonus won’t help to keep nurses and midwives in the profession or attract new entrants.

With inflation widely predicted to reach 7 per cent this year, the NSW Government says nurses, midwives and other public sector workers will get an annual pay rise no greater than 3 per cent including superannuation for 2022–23 and 2023–24.

A further 0.5 per cent in 2023–24 may be paid if employees make what the government calls “productivity reforms”.

To sugar-coat this bitter pill, the government announced a one-off “thank-you” payment of $3000 for NSW Health permanent employees in recognition of their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The payment includes super-ann-uation and will be taxable income.

After several days of negotiation with the NSWNMA, the government agreed to extend the “thank-you” payment to casual staff, those on temporary contracts and perm-anent full-time and part-time staff, including:

• employees of agencies under NSW awards
• some employees of third-schedule organisations (AHOs)
• visiting medical officers
• junior medical officer locums, and
• agency nurses on the NSW Health payroll.

Health executives, senior executive employees and contractors employed by external agencies are not eligible for the payment.

“Stubbornly, the government refused to reward the sacrifices made by nurses and midwives in the private hospital sector or aged care sector,” NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes said.

The money will only be paid to staff who commenced employment on or before 1 April 2022 and continue to be employed on 1 July 2022.

Part-time and casual staff will be paid a pro-rata amount, based on the number of hours worked.

Payment was likely to start from July through to August.

Brett said the government’s wages policy ignored the need for better pay to attract new nurses, and retain those who may be lured by higher pay rates interstate.

Geoff Hudson, president of the NSWNMA’s Albury Base Hospital branch, told the Special General Meeting that members in Albury could “look across the Murray River and see how much better they have it in Victoria compared to us in NSW”.

He said Victorian nurses “started out worse than us in NSW and they’ve had a minimum 3 per cent pay rise every year since 2016.

“In 2019 they were brought up to parity with NSW and they continue to get that 3 per cent.

“In addition, they received a $60 per shift COVID allowance during the pandemic worth up to $14–15,000 per year,” Geoff said.

‘Productivity’ increase questioned

Also at the Special General Meeting, NSWNMA member Laura Smith from John Hunter Hospital branch asked how the government would measure the productivity increase needed to get an additional 0.5 per cent pay increase.

“Do they have clearly defined measures of productivity and how do they expect nurses to be more productive when they won’t give us the basic resources we need to care for patients?” she asked.

“How do they expect us to be more productive when we’ve got six ambulances lining up waiting to offload, 30 patients in a waiting room and no functioning equipment?

“What measures are they expecting us to go by; what guidelines are they expecting us to meet; and why does it fall on us nursing staff to compensate for their poor planning?”

In reply, Brett Holmes said, “They know full well that there are very few additional efficiencies that can be dragged out of the blood, sweat and tears of nurses and midwives.

“If they’re going to award the 0.5 per cent it’s going to be on the basis of what you’ve already done and continue to do rather than anything extra.

“Any suggestion that you’re going to work harder or could possibly even think of working harder should be rejected outright.”

‘Albury nurses can look across the Murray River and see how much better they have it in Victoria compared to us in NSW.’ — Geoff Hudson, Albury Base Hospital branch

‘How do they expect us to be more productive when we’ve got six ambulances lining up waiting to offload, 30 patients in a waiting room and no functioning equipment?’ — Laura Smith, John Hunter Hospital branch

Branches vote again on pay

The Special General Meeting voted narrowly to amend the resolution and increase the NSWNMA wage claim to 7 per cent – thereby rejecting the government’s offer of a 2.53 per cent wage rise plus 0.5 per cent additional superannuation.

The meeting voted 522 in support of the amendment with 513 against. A further 596 members did not record a vote.

Given the close outcome of the vote and the reports of voting problems, NSWNMA Council decided to seek clarification from members by asking public sector branches to meet and vote to confirm their intention.

STOP PRESS

Public sector branches have voted and confirm they reject the NSW government’s 2.53 per cent pay offer and want the Association to pursue a 7 per cent pay increase.

Following the vote, the Association will:

• advise the Industrial Relations Commisssion that the Ministry of Health’s pay proposal is rejected
• continue to build for further statewide action, calling for the immediate introduction of shift by shift ratios and for a fair pay increase of at least 7 per cent.