The New South Wales nursing union has called its fifth statewide stoppage this year.

From this Wednesday, nurses will strike for a full 24 hours, expressing their anger at the latest rejection of their demands by the NSW Government. 

NSW nurses are demanding minimum shift-by-shift nurse-to-patient ratios of 3:1 in emergency departments and 4:1 in the wards, and a 7 per cent pay increase. 

It is just one of the IR fights going on in the state, with NSW teachers and rail workers having taken repeated industrial action. 

Thousands of NSWNMA members will walk off the job from 7am (morning shift) on 23 November until 7am on 24 November (end of night shift). Life-preserving services will be maintained in all public hospitals and health services during the strike.

“No real solutions have been offered to address the health staffing or workload crisis,” said NSWMMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish.

“The government must also get rid of its wages policy and start acknowledging the value of our nurses and midwives.

“The evidence is clear that wage caps are hurting public sector workers’ livelihoods and their retirement savings, and it’s time for them to be abolished.”