The NSW Government is not doing enough to address nursing shortages in NSW.

That is the opinion of Deniliquin NSW Nurses & Midwives Association branch spokesperson Jessica Donaldson, as the NSW Government celebrates striking a three per cent wage increase deal with nurses.

Ms Donaldson said nurses have accepted the interim increase simply because they need it to survive the cost of living increases.

Meanwhile, the NSW Nurses & Midwives Association is still pushing for a 35 per cent increase.

Unable to reach such an agreement with the NSW Government, it will be considered by the Industrial Relations Commission starting this month.

“The three per cent increase puts us (nurses) on par with teachers, who aren’t paid very well either,” Ms Donaldson said.

“We still make nowhere near what paramedics, firefighters or police do, as they received larger pay increases in the last few years.

“The three per cent doesn’t even quite match CPI.

“The base rate for a registered nurse is $38.72, which is about $3 below both Victorian and Queensland nurses.

“The base rate for an enrolled nurse is $35.33, which is the same as Queensland but lower than Victoria.

“It doesn’t really do much to help the shortages we’re experiencing and doesn’t even meet the national minimum wage increases in the last few years.

“In our local branch, 65 per cent voted for the three per cent officer, and 35 rejected it. It represents the level of uncertainly people have.

“We wanted to prove to the government that we’re worth more by not taking the deal, but acceptance is a sign of the impact of cost of living.”

The NSW Government said this offer gives public sector nurses and midwives a pay rise now “while still allowing a pathway for the remaining matters to be determined by the independent Industrial Relations Commission”.

But that pathway will no longer include the union’s appeals for an increase of night shift penalties from 15 per cent to 35 per cent.

The union has instead agreed to take the government’s offer of 20 per cent based on arbitration to date.

Nurses and midwives will also see improvements to their working conditions and work-life balance, including: two consecutive days off; no night shifts before annual leave unless requested; and no changes on published roster without consultation.

This improvement to night shift loadings and interim pay rise follows an eight per cent increase to pay (inclusive of a one per cent increase to superannuation) for nurses in the current government’s first two years.

NSW also abolished the wages cap and is working to rebuild the health workforce.

“The penalties deal still leaves us a bit behind Victoria where it equates to 27-34 per cent, depending on shift length, but puts us on par with Queensland.

“Neither deal is close to what we were asking for, but we now just have to wait on the outcome from the IRC, but we may not get a decision until early next year.

“Our next award is due to start in June 2026, and we then have an election in March 2027, so we’ll see if we need to get political again.”

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Thursday, 2nd February 2023

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