1 day Ago By Damon Cronshaw
Nurses and midwives at Lake Macquarie and Warners Bay private hospitals have won a historic 16 per cent pay rise over three years. Login or signup to continue reading The deal includes a 9.5 per cent pay rise in the next 12 months, along with back pay from July 2023.
The pay rise follows members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association (NSWNMA) voting to accept Ramsay Health Care's proposed enterprise agreement. The NSWNMA said the agreement came "after more than 250 days of historic industrial action and three no-votes". Nurses and midwives walked off the job for four hours twice last year at Lake Macquarie Private Hospital at Gateshead in a bid for better pay and conditions.
They highlighted the need for meal and toilet breaks, which they often don't have time to take. They held signs saying "ask me how long I hold my pee" and "safe staffing saves lives". Union members also took industrial action at Warners Bay Private Hospital.
Ramsay initially offered the workers an 8.5 per cent pay rise over three years, then 11 per cent. After the first strike, Ramsay upped its offer to 12.
5 per cent. The workers were seeking 20 per cent and improved conditions for parental and personal leave, but accepted 16 per cent. About 95 per cent of nurses and midwives voted in favour of the agreement, which included "significant improvements to conditions".
These included reduced patient loads for nurses in charge of hospitals, restrictions on non-clinical duties and increased paid parental leave. They will also receive increased overtime and weekend penalty rates for casuals, and improved rights and paid leave for branch officials. The victory covered Ramsay's 39 health operations across NSW.
Ramsay is the country's largest private hospital operator. NSWNMA general secretary Shaye Candish applauded the members for their "tenacity and determination to win better pay and conditions". "This has been the union's longest running campaign of protected industrial action," Ms Candish said.
"It's a credit to each and every Ramsay member who took up the fight and didn't give up. "Nurses and midwives were able to shift the original pay offer of 8.5 per cent over three years to 16 per cent over three years.
" Ms Candish said the members showed "remarkable resolve to show Ramsay they deserved to be valued and respected by their employer". Members took part in more than 60 strikes, including at Ramsay's annual general meeting last year. The negotiation included 21 bargaining meetings and three successful no-votes.
"As part of our claim, we sought mandated shift by shift nurse/midwife-to-patient ratios for all wards and units in Ramsay hospitals," Ms Candish said. "Unfortunately we weren't able to achieve these crucial safe-staffing improvements in this bargaining campaign, but the fight for ratios continues." A Ramsay spokesperson said the company was "pleased to confirm" that the enterprise agreement had been "approved by a strong majority of employees".
"More than 80 per cent of eligible nurses and midwives cast their vote in the recent ballot, with 95 per cent voting in favour of the proposed agreement. "We thank our nurses and midwives for their engagement and feedback throughout the negotiation process. We look forward to delivering the benefits secured in the new agreement.
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