January 23, 2025

chris minns

Nurse and rail unions join forces in their fight for fair pay 

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The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) and the NSW Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) have joined forces, demanding the Minns Government resolve its long-running wage disputes with both unions.

The NSWNMA and RTBU, along with Unions NSW, are calling on the government to value its hardworking public sector workers who are keeping the state functioning this holiday season.

NSWNMA President, O’Bray Smith, said it was appalling that a Labor government wasn’t negotiating in good faith with its essential workers.

“While Labor MPs will be sitting at the table enjoying time with their loved ones this Christmas, nurses and midwives will be working around the clock to keep our communities safe and well,” said Ms Smith.

“Our nursing and midwifery workforce is in crisis and the government seems indifferent to that. This matter won’t be resolved in the IRC until late 2025. In the meantime, the government is choosing to punish the largest female-dominated workforce for pursuing competitive rates of pay that bring us into line with other states.

“To top it off, the government is also seeking fines against the union for taking industrial action, in an attempt at silencing nurses and midwives. We will not be silent.

“We commissioned a report to identify funding opportunities and savings in the system to pay for the pay rise, and we are willing to look beyond our one-year claim and consider a multi-year agreement that achieves interstate pay parity.

“If the government was serious about fixing the state’s decade-high gender pay gap, it would find new money and invest in its nursing and midwifery workforce.

“Many of our members can’t afford to live near where they work, nor can they afford the cost of parking when they get there and so they rely on public transport. We rely on those workers, and they deserve to be valued too.”

Nurses and midwives press ahead with 24 hour strike

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More than ten thousand of NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) members across the state walked off the job for 24 hours from morning shift on Tuesday 24 September over the NSW government’s decision to turn its back on public sector nurses and midwives.

Major public rallies were held in Sydney, Tweed and Albury where union members raised their voices and demand a 15% one-off pay increase to make NSW nurses and midwives’ wages competitive with other states and close the gender pay gap.

Minimal, life-preserving staffing was maintained in all public hospitals and health services during the 24-hour strike.

NSWNMA General Secretary Shaye Candish said the state government had been given ample opportunity to work with the union, but there had been no genuine attempt to negotiate on the pay and conditions claim.

“The state government could have stopped this industrial action from occurring by coming to the table with an improved offer, but it has chosen to ignore us repeatedly,” said Ms Candish.

“Nurses and midwives are outraged by the government’s unwillingness to negotiate beyond its insulting 3% offer, especially since we found the savings to fund the pay rise.

“If the government doesn’t heed our warnings and deliver a decent pay increase, we will see more nurses and midwives leave the system, and patients will be the ones to suffer the consequences.”

Statewide strike in fight for fair pay

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Public sector nurses and midwives from across New South Wales have held a strike for more than 12 hours on Tuesday 10 September, in a bid to send the NSW government a loud message.

Fed up with being ignored by the government, thousands of NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) members walked off the job from 7am-7:30pm to fight for a 15% one-year pay increase.

NSWNMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish, said members were sick and tired of being undervalued, overworked, and not listened to.

“The state government is not bargaining in good faith. Not once in our 10 negotiation meetings has the government sat at the table and discussed nurses and midwives’ pay. That’s despite us finding significant cost savings through our Rapid Business Case,” said Ms Candish.

“Nurses and midwives shouldn’t have to foot the bill for safe staffing ratios in our public hospitals and forgo a decent pay rise – there’s no other workforce that’s been required to pay for their own resources.

“NSW Labor was elected on a platform of gender equity and supporting women in work. They’re now refusing to fix the gender pay gap and not deliver the state’s largest female-dominated workforce fair and reasonable pay.

“It’s clear the state government is choosing to pay nurses and midwives the lowest wages in the country, and it will continue to see our public health system fall apart if it doesn’t pay nurses and midwives enough to stay in NSW.”

Minimal, life-preserving staffing was maintained in public hospitals and health services during the 12-hour strike.

Essential workers fleeing NSW due to pay: research

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Essential workers in NSW are taking on second jobs or considering a move interstate as the Minns government faces pressure over its recent pay offer to public sector employees.

A survey of 7,028 union and non-union public sector workers conducted by Unions NSW, found that 42% of public sector workers were considering moving interstate for similar jobs – a rise of 15 percentage points from two years ago.

Meanwhile, more than two in five (42%) public sector workers were working a second job or considering finding one to supplement their income.

Concerningly, the health sector was most affected, with 67% of health workers considering a move interstate. Further, 56% of this cohort were working or were considering getting a second job to make ends meet.

Unions NSW Secretary, Mark Morey, said the findings were a clear signal.

“The voters that will decide the next election are hugely invested in making sure our essential workers get the fair pay rise they desperately deserve. This should be a massive wake-up call for the NSW government,” said Mr Morey.

Separate qualitative research by consulting firm Redbridge outlined political implications for these findings. Focus groups in marginal outer suburban and regional electorates revealed strong support for a 15% pay claim and workers’ right to take industrial action.

Participants also described the Minns government’s 10.5% three-year pay offer as a “slap in the face.”

“New South Wales’ already-stretched essential services are facing a mass exodus of workers looking interstate for decent pay that keeps their heads above water,” Mr Morey said.

“The political consequences of disrespecting public sector workers could be catastrophic.”

Nurses and midwives ramp up fight with stop work actions

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Thousands of public sector nurses and midwives across New South Wales stopped work for one hour this week, as they ramped up their fight for a 15% pay increase.

NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) members from 100 hospitals and health facilities statewide walked off the job to demand respect from the government and call on the Treasurer to pay nurses and midwives what they deserve.

NSWNMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish, said after more than ten negotiation meetings with the state government, there’d been no progress on the union’s pay claim.

“We have done everything that has been asked of this union and more, and despite all of that, nothing has shifted,” said Ms Candish.

“The state government needs to know we are serious and we are fed up. Wages for the state’s largest female workforce have been suppressed for more than a decade. Labor must fix this gender inequity, and show that it respects our nurses and midwives and the work they do caring for our communities.

“The government is choosing to pay nurses and midwives low wages. In real terms, their wages are sitting at 2008 levels, while dealing with 2024 costs. Entry level nurses in NSW are now the lowest paid in the country.

“If the state government wants to rebuild the nursing and midwifery workforce, and is serious about retaining its hardworking and dedicated staff, it must step up and pay nurses and midwives a wage that reflects their incredible contribution.

“The government needs to stop exploiting the generosity and goodwill of nurses and midwives.

“It’s time Premier Chris Minns and Treasurer Daniel Mookhey recognised the value and worth of nurses and midwives.”

Dozens of metropolitan and regional NSWNMA branches held public rallies and closed meetings as part of their stop work actions.

New laws pave way for improved pay and conditions for nurses and midwives

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NSW public sector workers have welcomed new laws improving the state’s industrial relations system, which recently passed NSW parliament.

The Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2023 was a key election promise of the Minns Labor government, who promised to reform the state’s industrial relations to make it fairer for workers and the unions that fought for reform.

Central to this legislation was the abolition of the much-despised wages cap, which limited public sector nurses and midwives’ pay increases to 2.5% under the previous Liberal-National government.

The legislation also facilitates for negotiation between government agencies and unions to find mutually agreed improvements to pay and conditions. Previously, public sector workers were required to sacrifice improvements to conditions within their allocated 2.5% pay increase, limiting the ability for important improvements to be won.

The legislation also re-establishes the NSW Industrial Court, recreating an independent avenue through which nurses and midwives can take work health and safety issues and underpayments. The Industrial Court will be presided over by expert judges, and will be outside political influence.

NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association General Secretary, Shaye Candish, welcomed the passage of the legislation as being “much needed” for public sector nurses and midwives.

“For over a decade, nurses and midwives have borne the brunt of an unfair wages cap that limited improvements to pay and conditions,” Ms Candish said.

“The passage of this legislation marks a new age in industrial relations in our state, and will allow our union to be even more ambitious in fighting for improvements in pay and conditions for our members.”

Unions NSW Secretary, Mark Morey, echoed her sentiment, highlighting the benefits that the legislation will have on retaining frontline workers in our state.

“These reforms will assist in attracting and retaining the workforce we need to keep NSW safe, healthy and educated,” Mr Morey said.

“Not only will frontline workers now have a chance to bargain for fair pay rises that keep pace with the cost of living, they now have improved rights when it comes to seeking justice on workplace safety and underpayment.

“We thank every union activist, worker, and community member who has campaigned for change over the decade.”

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