NSWNMA General Secretary Shaye Candish, said that after more than ten negotiation meetings with the state government, there had been no progress on the union’s pay claim.

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“The state government needs to know we are serious, and we are fed up,” she said.

“Wages for the state’s largest female workforce have been suppressed for more than a decade.”

NSW nurses and midwives are the lowest paid in the country and staff retention is suffering.

Coffs Harbour NSWNMA Branch President Amanda Bailey Derrett, told NOTA that members from Coffs Harbour Hospital Branch have had enough.

“We are highly skilled health professionals and provide lifesaving care in a very stressful job. But many just can’t afford to pay the rent.

“We are asking to be valued and paid fairly for the work we do.

“We shouldn’t have to keep fighting for fair pay and decent working conditions.

“We deserve better and so does the community that we care for.”

Nurses and midwives are already moving to other states or leaving the profession altogether.

Branch Secretary Joanne Cooper told NOTA that Coffs Harbour hospital had lost another eight nurses to Queensland, just this week.

“The lack of real negotiation despite regular meetings sees the government refusing to address our log of claims, which includes our pay rise of 15 percent in one year,” she said.

The striking staff voted to continue their industrial action by “working to rule”.

“That means we will not be carrying out non-nursing duties, such as not answering the telephones, not doing domestic duties such as bed making and not attending to clerical duties that are left to the nursing and midwifery staff out of hours.”

For NSWNMA Coffs Harbour Branch member, nurse Htun Htun Oo, the biggest issue is the difference in pay between nurses and midwives in NSW and other states.

“The current pay disparity not only undervalues our hard work but also exacerbates the workforce shortages that threaten the quality of healthcare in our state,” he said.

“Ensuring equitable pay is not just a matter of fairness; it is essential for retaining skilled professionals and maintaining a robust healthcare system for the people of NSW.

“It is unacceptable that dedicated professionals are forced to take to the streets to demand fair pay.”

By Andrea FERRARI