ABOUT two dozen Shellharbour nurses undertook strike action and travelled to Sydney last Wednesday, lending their support to a protest claiming that the state government has failed to act on patient-nurse ratios.
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Striking staff attended a special general meeting campaigning for guaranteed, safe nurse staffing levels and equal ratios in public hospitals statewide.
The rally at Sydney Olympic Park drew 3000 people. An estimated 2000 more attended supporting protests throughout the state.
NSW Nurses and Midwives Association's Shellharbour branch president Karin Tilden said about 80 Illawarra nurses attended the Sydney event, including approximately 25 from Shellharbour. She said half a dozen Shellharbour nurses also joined nurses and midwives protesting at Bomaderry Bowling Club.
She said nurses were tired of the government ignoring their calls for more staff.
"We've tried the softly, softly approach; ultimately the government isn't listening," she said. "They are not even willing to discuss patient allocation. This is the next step we have to take to get up in their faces and start making some noise."
During a visit to Kiama last week, Premier Barry O'Farrell indicated the actions would have little effect on negotiations.
"It [the industrial reaction] is disappointing, there is a backdated 2.5 per cent pay increase on the table that is the same as all front-line workers in NSW have been offered," Mr O'Farrell said.
"This campaign is futile attempt to influence the wages policy, the Wage Negotiation Committee has set down that they think it is appropriate for nurses to receive the same 2.5 per cent increase and that's what we have offered."Ms Tilden said they had to remain vigilant, and that an as-yet-undetermined form of industrial action may take place on September 17.
"We're in this for the long haul," she said. "The resolution was to continue fighting and stay strong."
Ms Tilden said many Illawarra nurses faced one-to-four nurse-to-patient ratios, while country staff were sometimes forced to deal with five or six patients each.
"In Shellharbour, we don't have after-hours pathology or surgical intervention ... We're five minutes down the road from Sydney but we're treated like we're in the outback."
Opposition health spokesperson Dr Andrew McDonald has labelled the government's refusal to negotiate nurse-to-patient ratios as a decision that could place the NSW health system in crisis.
"Nurse-to-patient ratios are a crucial part of improving the quality of the NSW hospital system," he said.
Labor Shellharbour MP Anna Watson accused the government of provoking the action. "The state government should be negotiating with the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association in good faith, not provoking strike action," she said.
