Nurses Get 10% Payrise In January

Date: 20 December 2002

More than 35,000 nurses working in NSW public hospitals and health care facilities will receive a 10 per cent pay rise from 1 January 2003 after the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (NSW IRC) today agreed to a special pay rise for public sector nurses.

The NSW IRC has added a special six per cent pay rise to the four per cent due on 1 January 2003 as part of the 1999-2004 wages agreement between the NSWNA and State Government.

A further five per cent pay rise is due on 1 July 2003 as part of that agreement, which means that - because the rises compound on each other - public sector nurses wages will rise by nearly 16 per cent in 2003.

From 1 January 2003 public sector nurse wages, for a full time employee, will go up by between $47.00 and $185.00 per week depending on their classification.

The majority of general ward nurses - Registered Nurse Year 8 - will receive a $92.00 per week pay rise. A full-time new graduate nurse - Registered Nurse Year 1 - will receive a rise of $65.00 per week.

The Full Bench of the NSW IRC granted the pay rise as part of an interim decision in the NSW Nurses Association's (NSWNA) special wages case. The final decision is expected next year, following the presentation in February and March of final submissions by the NSWNA and NSW Health Department.

NSWNA General Secretary, Brett Holmes, said this interim pay rise is a substantial first step in the NSWNA's campaign to rebuild nursing as an attractive career option.

"The NSW IRC has sent a positive message to the nurses of NSW today and we look forward to building on that in the final decision next year. The Commission clearly understands the seriousness of the nurse shortage and has accepted that improved nurse wages are an important factor in overcoming the shortage.

"The vast majority of nurses will appreciate this pay rise and appreciate the strong support they have received from the general community in their push for a better deal," Mr Holmes said.

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 35 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.

For further information

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

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