St George Private Hospital nurses and midwives made themselves known and heard on Thursday, as they walked off the job.
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For three hours from 7am on July 25, staff who are members of the St George Branch of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association went on strike.
They are employed by Ramsay Health Care, which owns the hospital. Nurses and midwives took to the streets with placards on the Princes Highway before walking to Edith Blake Reserve on Montgomery Street for a rally.
Their vow to ramp up industrial action launched earlier this month, eventuated into the morning job stoppage.
Nurses and midwives say their pay and conditions offer is unacceptable, and they are also demanding safe staffing ratios for all wards and units.
St George Private Hospital Branch Secretary Deanna Hayes said it was a good turnout. "This morning we had more than 150 nurses standing outside the St George Private demanding a better deal from Ramsay," she said. "After 16 months of bargaining everyone has had enough I felt so proud of Ramsay nurse and midwives standing up for conditions and a decent pay rise that is in line with inflation.
"Some of the placards said 'Ramsay can afford ratios/a living wage, profits up 290 per cent, 'fair pay or nurses wont stay'. Ramsay will not implement ratios or safe staffing. Their nurses are earning a wage behind the public sector nurses, behind other private hospitals, behind inflation, and nurses and midwives in other states. Ramsay enjoyed $365 million in profits last year, and yet their statements claim they are experiencing significant financial challenges. How about the financial challenges of our nurses and midwives trying to keep their heads above water in a cost of living crisis?"
A Ramsay Health Care spokesperson said it was negotiating with nurses and midwives, and it would implement action plans to minimise disruption to patients.
