Nurses Wages Claim Interim Decision

Date: 19 December 2002

The Full Bench of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (NSW IRC) is scheduled to bring down an interim decision in the NSW Nurses Association's (NSWNA) special wages case today.

Further dates have been set in February and March next year for final submissions, prior to the Full Bench's complete decision on the NSWNA's application.

As part of its What's a Nurse Worth? campaign the NSWNA is seeking, through this special case, a one-off 15% pay rise, qualification allowances and retention allowances for nurses. The case began in mid-June and so far has had 40 days of hearings, involving around 40 witnesses. The Full Bench hearing the case is NSW IRC President, Justice Lance Wright, Justice Roger Boland and Commissioner Ray Patterson.

The What's a Nurse Worth? campaign was launched in July 2001 at the NSWNA's annual conference, with the objective of solving the NSW nurse shortage through improved wages and conditions for nurses. Hospital and health services around the State have been cut because there are insufficient nurses to staff them.

As well as this special wages case, the What's a Nurse Worth? campaign has included public-awareness events in cities, suburbs and towns throughout the State, stop work meetings and rallies at various hospitals and a Statewide public-sector nurses' strike on 18 October 2001. As part of the campaign, the NSWNA also collected more than 120,000 signatures on what is believed to be the biggest petition ever presented to the NSW Parliament.

Please note:
Following today's interim decision (at 9.45am) the NSW IRC is also scheduled to vary the State's seven public sector nurses awards to include a four per cent pay rise from 1 January 2003, which is part of the 1999-2004 wages agreement between the NSWNA and State Government.

For further information

Contact:	Brett Holmes
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
Phone:	(02) 9550 3244
Contact Mobile:	0414 550 324

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