Health Services Union (HSU) members in some Hunter hospitals are taking industrial action from this morning.
HSU wardspeople, security, cleaning, allied health, admin, radiographers and paramedics will walk off the job at the John Hunter Hospital from 10am and Morrisett Hospital from 10am.
Workers at other hospitals will enact work bans.
The action is over working conditions and wages – HSU is seeking:a 6.5 per cent wage increase (inclusive of 0.5 per cent super), for all health workers to get the full benefit of salary packaging as the HSU said they currently have to hand over half their tax savings to the Government, which can be worth several thousand dollars per year, and an end to the salary cap.
HSU said the stagnant wages are contributing to an attraction and retention crisis.
“At last count there were 12,000 vacancies in NSW Health. Workers are fleeing to Queensland, ACT and Victoria because the pay is significantly better and housing is cheaper.
“This hurts the health system and means we lose twice, because all the money spent training the worker is lost.”