Nurses Take Message to Auburn

Date: 07 September 2001

Date: Friday, 7 September 2001
Auburn Community Nursing
Time: 1.00pm - 2.00pm
Rally Venue: ALP campaign office, Auburn by-election, 2F Auburn Rd Auburn

New South Wales Nurses Association (NSWNA) members at Auburn Community Nursing, Shellharbour Hospital and Garrawarra Aged Care Facility will stop work tomorrow afternoon (Friday 7 September) as part of the NSWNA's What's a Nurse Worth? campaign. During the stop work period the nurses will hold rallies aimed at informing local people of the nursing crisis confronting the NSW health system.

About 20 nurses from Auburn Community Nursing will take the message about poor wages and working conditions for nurses to Ms Barbara Perry, the ALP candidate in this Saturday's Auburn by-election.

NSWNA assistant secretary, Brett Holmes, said community nurses are concerned that if the nursing shortage gets any worse then nursing resources could be diverted from community health to fill the gaps in our hospital system.

"That would be a disaster for preventative health care, family support, maternal and child health and a whole range of other community-based healthcare programs," Mr Holmes said.

Tomorrow's stop works and rallies follow similar action recently at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Concord Hospital, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Vincent's Public Hospital, St George Hospital, Manly Hospital, Liverpool Hospital, Nepean Hospital, John Hunter Hospital, Tamworth Hospital, Barraba Hospital, Wollongong Hospital and Western Sydney Area Health Service hospitals and community health facilities.

The What's a Nurse Worth? campaign was launched in July at the NSWNA's annual conference, with the objective of solving the NSW nurse shortage through improved wages and conditions for nurses. Despite acknowledging there is a nurse shortage in NSW, the State Government has rejected a NSWNA request for the Industrial Relations Minister, John Della Bosca, to initiate an urgent case before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission aimed at improving nurse wages and conditions.

For further information

Contact:	Brett Holmes
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
Phone:	02-9550 3244
Contact Mobile:	0414-550 324
WWW:	http://www.nswnusrses.asn.au

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