Nurses and Midwives on the Far South Coast walked off the job from 7am today (Tuesday September 10), demanding better pay and conditions.
Nurses are striking for 12-13 hours from this morning, urging the NSW Government to give them a 15 per cent one-year increase.
Rallies are happening today at the Batemans Bay Foreshore from 10am-12pm, Hylands Corner in Merimbula from 11am and Moruya’s Main Street from 1pm-3pm.
President of the Nurses and Midwives Association in Bega, Diane Lang told ARN Bega Bay, they deserve better.
“Bega nurses will be in Merimbula to tell you how pathetic and how insulting the current offer is,” Ms Lang said.
“Even after 10 weeks of negotiations, we can’t get a better offer than 3.5%, just 1% more than the previous government, insulting.””
Ms Lang said the NSW Government needs to come to the table.
“This government continually says you don’t need a payrise because we gave you safe staffing, but safe staffing was delivered to give safe care to community and our patients,” Ms Lang said.
“Nurses and midwives who work in NSW are the lowest paid in any state, we’re hemmoraging staff which are leaving to go and get paid better in another state,” she continued.
“A fair pay-rise is what nurses need to keep us in NSW, that’s why we’re striking.”
Minimal staffing will be maintained in public hospitals and health services during the strike.
Images: NSW Nurses and Midwives Association
