BY MEREDITH BLAIR
Pay us like your life depends on it.
That was the resounding message from Singleton’s nurses and midwives when they participated in a 24-hour strike, protesting the NSW Government’s failure to agree to an immediate 15 per cent wage increase.
Nurses and midwives gathered at Townhead Park, expressing their frustrations at their working conditions and receiving support from passing by cars as they chanted for their 15 per cent.
“It’s beyond a joke,” Singleton nurse Jennifer Leslie told The Hunter River Times.
“We’re essentially working for less than we were paid five years ago.
“It feels like a slap in the face.”
Other professions including Police and Paramedics have received pay increases, 40 per cent and 29 per cent respectively.
“We just want to be brought in line with other industries,” Singleton branch president Gloria Howard said.
Nurses and midwives also expressed their concern about the lack of pay parity, sharing that the predominantly female nursing industry is not receiving the same pay increase offers as the predominantly male police and paramedics.
“This is one thing that the NSW government could do to bring us in line with those other industries,” Jennifer Leslie said.
Other conditions nurses and midwives were campaigning for included a 30 per cent night duty penalty, allowing 100 per cent of the tax benefit to go to members when a public sector nurse or midwife chooses to salary package and bringing starting rates of registered nurses in line with other states and services.
They also campaigned to increase sick leave to 20 days per annum, for all rostered days off to be consecutive unless agreed between the employee and management and for a prohibition on working night duty before commencing annual leave.
The nurses and midwives shared their concern for a lack of ratios within Hunter hospitals, one nurse sharing that she works 100 hours a fortnight to try and make up for the huge shortage of nursing staff at Singleton Hospital.
