The Government continues to refuse our claim for improved and extended ratios, so nurses and midwives across NSW will be seeing red this Monday July 1 to spread the message that the Government refuses to improve patient safety by guaranteeing minimum nursing care levels.
Facebook has ‘See red’ ideas
Here are some Branch plans for Monday – get creative and make your plan:
- Wearing red t-shirts, stockings, ribbons, armbands, lipstick;
- Asking local radio to dedicate Split Enz’ “I See Red” to all the nurses and midwives of NSW;
- Collecting petition signatures and writing to local papers;
- Asking local community groups to contact MPs to show their support for improved ratios;
- Liking the NSWNMA Facebook page ‘Ratios put patient safety first’ and sending photos of your ward/service red activity to ge****@ns****.au. Tweet messages to @nswnma, use hashtag #morenurses
Court gives full 2.5% pay increase – but Govt overturns decision
On Tuesday June 25, unions won the court case to uphold a full 2.5% pay increase for public sector workers in July 2013, but the NSW Government has moved to override the decision and reduce nurses and midwives’ pay increase to 2.25%.
The Industrial Relations Commission used what is left of its legal powers to rule that the state Government’s current wages law did not allow the Government to absorb the 1 July 0.25% increased super contribution into its 2.5% wages ‘cap’. The Government had unsuccessfully argued that under the law it could reduce the take home pay increase to 2.25%, from the previously offered 2.5%.
Now the Government has lost the court case, it is simply changing the law again, to get what it wants. These legal changes were introduced to Parliament without notice on Friday June 28 and without any consultation.
As NSWNMA analyses the situation with other public sector unions next week, we will report fully to members. This is another reason to ‘see red’ this Monday.
