Member Stories
Blown away by community support
Nurse Heidi MacNamara wrote to the Lamp about her experiences campaigning to stop the wage freeze against her colleagues
When we heard that the NSW Liberal-National government were trying to freeze our wages it felt like a kick in the guts. With all we have been through with COVID it was truly a low blow. This government continues to deny nurses and midwives anything more than the bare minimum. After denying us nurse-to-patient ratios for over 10 years, we now face a pay freeze! This is how they thank their nurses and midwives.
On 2 June parliament sat to push through the pay freeze. Members from across the state rallied in front of their local MP offices and outside Parliament House to collectively demonstrate that we meant business. Due to social distancing regulations, 10 Liverpool nurses and midwives met outside the Holsworthy MP’s office.
Since this rally we have been busy meeting with all our local MPs. Liverpool has many neighbouring electorates. All of our local Labor MPs were more than willing to meet with us and pledge their support of a pay rise for nurses and midwives.
Thank you, Liverpool MP Paul Lynch, Cabramatta MP Nick Lalich and Macquarie Fields MP Anoulack Chanthivong for your support! Liberal MP for Holsworthy, Melanie Gibbons, has ignored members’ emails and requests to meet.
We have turned to the community for support, knowing that by paying public sector workers we can boost our local economies and create jobs. Many of our local small businesses have agreed to display our poster in their windows, informing the community that nurses and midwives shop with them. This has been such a positive experience! We have been blown away by the community support.
Nurses and midwives will continue to support their local small businesses, shopping local, buying coffees, going to the pub for a meal, getting our hair done at the local hairdresser. We are calling on the Liberal government to change their mind and support the pay rise we were due! Stop adding to this Pink Recession!