‘Slap in the face’ for nurses

A pre-budget workforce announcement last week has been described as a good start, but NSWNMA acting general secretary Shaye Candish said it lacked details on how many nurses and midwives would actually be recruited, when it would be rolled out, or where they would go once recruited.

Nurses have also been offered a one-off $3000 government payment, but the Association has since learned there may be some barrier to some nurses receiving it.

Deniliquin NSWNMA branch spokesperson Rhonda Dixon said neither option goes far enough to ease the health crisis, and neither will the meagre pay rise offered to the Association as negotiations continue.

“Yes we have a $3000 bonus, but the government is yet to genuinely address workloads,” Ms Dixon said.

“The way we’re operating is not sustainable.

“And as for the three per cent pay rise offered, it;s less than inflation so we’ll still be going backwards. The union is viewing it as a slap in the face.

“How long have been been chasing adequate nurse to patient rations? That’s the only thing that will help ease the situation.”

Ms Dixon, who has been nursing for almost five decades, said local nurses are ‘‘just tired’’.

She said the nurse to patient ratio of 1:4 has been inadequate for many years, with no change despite repeated attempts to sway the NSW Government over many years.

And there is no formal ratio agreement in either maternity or emergency.

Coupled with staffing shortages, and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years, Ms Dixon said it’s not uncommon for some departments to be operating well over the desired ratios — at Deniliquin, and other hospitals around the state.

‘‘We were in trouble before COVID, but the pandemic really exposed the cracks,’’ Ms Dixon said.

“This is a problem Australia wide, but New South Wales is worse off because nurses are choosing to work over the border in Victoria and Queensland where they have ratios and better conditions.

“The Association has promised rolling strikes until our demands are met.

“We don’t rally want to; we want to go to work, but we also need it to be safe for us and out patients.”

NSWNMA acting assistant general secretary Michael Whaites said confirmation the government’s “draconian wages policy” would rise from 2.5 to 3 per cent this year was a “slap in the face” for public sector workers.

“No one can argue that nurses and midwives are not deserving of fair and equitable remuneration for the working conditions they are continuing to persevere through,” said Mr Whaites.

“We sought a modest pay rise of 4.75 per cent, given the wage freeze our members suffered in 2020.

“They will be insulted by the three per cent offer, and hints of a further 0.5 per cent next year if they promise to work even harder.

“New South Wales needs a government willing to be transparent and accountable.”

In subsequent meetings last week, Mr Whaites said double counting of previous announcements was apparent in the NSW Government’s recent 10,148 full-time equivalent staffing enhancement announcement.

“We are seeking further clarification from the Health Minister and Ministry, but we have been told that figure does include the New South Wales Ambulance and palliative care announcements, as well as at least 1,600 nurses and midwives yet to be recruited from the 5,000 nurses and midwives promised back in 2019.”

Association members are expected to meet again later this month to determine the next course of action.

It will be after the NSW Budget is released on June 21.