Thousands of nurses and midwives strike across NSW

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The Health Minister has apologised for the cancellation of over 500 surgeries caused by a statewide nurses' strike. Nurses are demanding a 15 percent pay increase to address staff shortages and prevent migration interstate.

Transcript

00:00After months of asking for a better deal, nurses are running out of patience.

00:10We've been forced to the streets because this government has ignored us and taken us for

00:16granted.

00:19Chris Min swept to power on a promise to lift nurses' pay and conditions.

00:23Today they rallied outside his office to tell him his offer of 10.5% over three years just

00:29won't cut it.

00:30I'm not going to take it anymore.

00:31It's a kick in the guts.

00:32It really is.

00:33It does not feel like we're being respected for the professionals that we are.

00:42The Premier wasn't in, but he couldn't escape one nurse's fury on talkback radio.

00:47I am exhausted.

00:48I am only doing this protest because we have no other avenue.

00:52It's not safe anymore for nurses or patients.

00:5515% for nurses, I think the police and then the teachers and then the corrections officers

01:01and then those that work for paramedics would quite rightly knock on my door the very next

01:05day and say, well, we want 15% as well.

01:07Nurses took their campaign statewide with a pointed message for those holding the purse

01:12strings, defying an order from the Industrial Relations Commission to halt the strike.

01:17The government says 3,813 staff walked off the job, meaning 518 planned surgeries had

01:24to be cancelled.

01:25I'm very sorry to anyone who has missed their surgery today or waiting longer.

01:30The Minister says he is delivering on a key union demand for nurse-to-patient ratios,

01:35but the opposition says the government over-promised before the election.

01:39This is what happens when you're two-faced.

01:41The government and nurses will return to the negotiating table on Thursday.

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