Value us: public health campaign – How you can get involved!

Nurses and midwives are the backbone of our healthcare system. They care for us in our most vulnerable moments, yet the NSW Government is wasting time and taxpayer money to drag them through a drawn-out legal process, instead of paying them what they’re worth.

The NSW Government can do the right thing. But to make that happen, we need your support.

Sign this petition to show your support for a pay increase for nurses and midwives.

How does an increase to nurses’ and midwives’ pay impact me?

1. Our hospitals are critically understaffed. Nurses and midwives in NSW are the lowest paid in the country. Many are leaving NSW for better wages and conditions in QLD & VIC, where they earn 10% to 22% more. This exodus is leaving our hospitals understaffed and putting your care at risk.
2. The NSW healthcare system is at breaking point. Without fair pay, fewer people are choosing nursing and midwifery as a career. Did you know in real terms, NSW public sector nurses’ and midwives’ wages have fallen to 2008 levels? If this trend continues, who will be left to care for you in 15 or 30 years?
3. NSW is losing the next generation of nurses and midwives: Recent nursing and midwifery graduates are taking their skills interstate, because entry level nurses and midwives in NSW are the lowest paid in the country. If we can’t attract and retain talent, our healthcare system will only deteriorate further.
4. Say no to gender disparity in NSW. Nursing and midwifery are female dominated professions, yet they are paid significantly lower than other male dominated industries in NSW. By increasing their wages, it will take a step forward to improving equality within our state.

Sign this petition and remind Labor that it is still possible to come back to the negotiating table and reach a fair outcome outside the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.