Narrabri nurses to take strike action today

Nurses and midwives from Narrabri Hospital have joined their counterparts across the state to take strike action today.

The health care professionals were expected to rally outside the hospital this morning.

Striking staff members had also hoped to march down to Maitland Street. The local strike is part of the Nurses and Midwives’ Association’s state-wide 24 hours of action.

Today’s rally is in response to what the association says is the NSW government’s failure to address an alleged ongoing staffing crisis inside public hospitals.

The union has sought a commitment to further talks on workplace improvements, since an initial strike was held across the state almost six weeks ago.

Association general secretary Brett Holmes said nurses and midwives in NSW were deeply distressed by the government’s refusal to acknowledge the public health system crisis.

“We’ve had ongoing reports of nurses and midwives working double shifts and increased amounts of overtime, gaps in staffing rosters going unfilled for weeks, vacant positions being left unfilled for months, as well as daily text messages begging staff to pick up extra shifts,” he said.

“Our members are scathing of the government’s unwillingness to continue an open dialogue with us about their claim for shift by shift nurse-to-patient ratios, improved maternity staffing and a modest pay rise,” Association general secretary Brett Holmes said.

The association said it has had no offer from the government since meeting with the NSW Premier in February.

Assistant general secretary Shaye Candish said unless the government agreed to a meaningful dialogue on safe staffing ratios and recognised how much Queensland and Victoria had benefited since introducing ratios, more staff would continue to leave NSW.

“This is a problem of the government’s own making. We’ve now got a situation where more and more experienced nurses and midwives are choosing to retire early, scaling back availability for shift work or leaving the profession all together,” Ms Candish said.

“During their statewide strike last month, members described exactly what it’s like working in our health system, and not because of the pandemic’s upheaval, but how the situation has deteriorated further.

“The government cannot keep its head in the sand and ignore the serious issues raised by its clinical nursing and midwifery workforce – the staff who are obligated to speak up when professional standards aren’t met, and patient safety is compromised.”

During today’s strike action, life-preserving services will be maintained in all public hospitals and health services.

Following last month’s strike, North West parliamentarians Roy Butler (Barwon) and Adam Marshall (Northern Tablelands) backed nurses in their push for better working conditions.