More than 400 surgeries have been cancelled as nurses strike across NSW despite an independent recommendation to accept an interim pay rise and continue negotiations. or signup to continue reading The 24-hour stop-work action by nurses and midwives on Tuesday will affect 454 elective surgeries and temporarily close 81 beds, but support for life-saving care is not expected to be impacted. Health Minister Ryan Park said he was disappointed with the action by the union.
"The independent umpire has said very clearly that this action shouldn't take place," he said. "People are going to have important surgery cancelled today ..
. this is going to have an impact on the treatment of chronic conditions." The government had not made a genuine attempt to negotiate on pay and conditions, NSW Nurses and Midwives general secretary Shaye Candish said.
"The state government could have stopped this industrial action from occurring by coming to the table with an improved offer, but it has chosen to ignore us repeatedly," Ms Candish said on Tuesday. "Nurses and midwives are outraged by the government's unwillingness to negotiate beyond its insulting three per cent offer, especially since we found the savings to fund the pay rise." Industrial Relations Commission president Ingmar Taylor had not yet examined the union's argument for pay rises, but an interim agreement and four weeks of "intensive discussions" in a bid to broker a deal.
The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association action started at 7am .
