'They can earn more at Bunnings': Hunter hospital workers demand pay rise

Ambulance, cleaning, allied health, admin, security, catering and ward staff will strike at John Hunter Hospital from 10am to 12pm today, calling for a pay increase.

Under the state's wages cap public sector pay increases can not legally exceed 2.5 per cent, but the Health Services Union said this is not enough with inflation running at 3.5 per cent.

HSU assistant secretary Lynne Russell said some staff are left with no choice but to leave their roles as their wages fail to keep up with the current inflation rate.

"The staffing situation is bad in John Hunter Hospital and part of the problem is they can't attract or retain staff because the wages and conditions are not attractive," she said.

"They can go and earn more at Bunnings than they can working in health looking after our sick people so why would they stay?"

HSU secretary Gerard Hayes said health workers across the state are fed up with the current situation and are demanding a pay rise.

"Health and hospital workers are sick of mealy-mouthed rhetoric. We don't need another politician thanking us for being heroes of the pandemic, we need a pay rise," he said.

"They were exposed to COVID without a vaccine or appropriate protective equipment for months. Then they endured exhaustion and anxiety.

"They have been rewarded with surging prices and a collapse in real wages.

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"We are sick to the back teeth of being called heroes. Being called a hero doesn't put money in the bank when you're skint before pay day."

Union members are campaigning for a 5.5 per cent pay rise to account for the impact of the pandemic and the surging cost of living.

"The main message is we want the government to listen, we want decent wages to reflect the work our members do in health and we want to be resourced correctly with sufficient staff, ongoing training and updating and modernising the awards. We need to see the wages policy gone so that we can negotiate true and meaningful wages," said Ms Russell.

"Not just in John Hunter but across the state, members are tired and they are exhausted and they want a decent pay increase."

John Hunter members of the Nurses and Midwives Association said they have been asked not to "pick up the slack" and stick to their regular nursing duties so the strike makes the biggest impact possible.

Paramedics are also striking from 7am to 8am, calling for more resources to the ambulance sector.

The Australian Paramedics Association NSW president Chris Kastelan said paramedics have needed better pay and more resources for a long time.

"Paramedics want a professional pay rate to make up for the work that they have done at the front line for the last two years," he said.

"NSW paramedics are the poorest paid paramedics nationally. They are well behind other states and we are calling for the immediate increase in pay rates to paramedics going forward to bring us in alignment with other jurisdictions."

It comes just a week after nurses and midwives went on strike, calling for better nurse-to-patient ratios and a pay rise.

"Whether you're a nurse, whether you're a teacher, whether you're a paramedic, I want to make sure that our public servants have the best pay possible", NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said, adding that NSW along with Queensland were the only states with a 2.5 per cent public sector pay rise.

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