In an effort to get a pay increase, thousands of nurses have begun congregating in Sydney and getting ready to demonstrate as they go on a 24-hour strike around the state.
According to Ryan Park, the health minister, 494 elective procedures were cancelled today, and 81 beds have been shuttered statewide.
He has also urged the public to use their local emergency department for urgent medical emergencies only, as they will be understaffed.
The strike begins from the morning shift today, according to the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, with a rally in Sydney’s Hyde Park starting from 11.30 am AEST.
The state administration has given an interim three percent salary increase, back-paid to July 1, subject to the association pausing its strike. The association is demanding a fifteen percent pay increase.
Health Minister Ryan Park stated yesterday, “I want to be very clear – nurses accepting the interim pay rise and pausing strike action will not amount to accepting the government’s wages offer.”
The group intends to proceed with its industrial action in spite of this, but hospitals throughout the state will continue to maintain minimal staffing levels.
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