Thousands of nurses and midwives in New South Wales, Australia, staged a 12-hour strike on Tuesday, demanding a 15% pay rise amidst a severe shortage of medical staff in hospitals, clinics, and maternity wards.
The strike, which saw several thousand healthcare workers leave their posts, took place in the most populous Australian state of New South Wales. Organized by the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA), the protesters called for a 15% salary increase over the next year. They attributed their demand to the harsh working conditions, including staff shortages in hospitals, clinics, and maternity wards.a
Footage released by ABC shows the strikers, mostly women, chanting slogans and holding placards demanding “fair pay.” According to the NSWNMA, if the government increases salaries by 15% over the next year, it would cost AU$6.5 billion (US$4.3 billion), more than the state spends on its entire police force.
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In response to the protesters’ demands, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said, “If we increase salaries by 15% over one year, it would cost AU$6.5 billion, which is more than we spend on the entire police force.”
It’s worth noting that the Australian Industrial Relations Commission had called on the strike organizers to cancel the protest, which was initially planned to last over 12 hours, citing concerns about the potential impact on healthcare services, including emergency care. However, no issues were reported in hospitals on Tuesday.
In May, the New South Wales government had already announced a 10.5% pay rise for public sector workers over three years, which also included nurses. However, the protesters argued that this is insufficient.
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On average, junior medical staff in public hospitals in New South Wales earn between AU$40 and AU$50 (US$27-$33) per hour or AU$85,000 to AU$95,000 (US$56,000-$63,000) per year.
