An ad that was in page 17 of The Daily Telegraph sends a strong message to the O’Farrell Government that they do not have the right to remove the independence of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.
The reality is the O’Farrell Government’s IR proposals are nothing but an attack on the rights at work of more than 40,000 nurses and midwives, who work for State Government departments such as NSW Health or Ageing, Disability and Homecare.
The Government’s legislation, which is currently before the parliament, removes the right of these nurses and midwives to have their wages and conditions arbitrated by an independent Industrial Relations Commission.
For that reason alone this legislation is not in the public interest.
One vital nursing example shows why.
In 2002 NSW, and Australia as a whole, faced a growing nurse and midwife shortage, which was seriously inhibiting service delivery in many of our hospitals and other health services – an issue governments of the day were largely ignoring, but which they were forced to address by the NSW Nurses’ Association and its special pay case before the independent NSW Industrial Relations Commission.
This special case delivered pay rates that helped restore nursing and midwifery as attractive career options.
The important pay rises delivered then flowed to many other nurses and midwives around the country and have helped attract and retain nurses and midwives ever since.
To see the full ad download below
