Nurses and midwives are striking for better conditions for the second time in five weeks, with the union saying the government has not addressed the crisis in NSW public hospitals.
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The 24-hour strike planned for Thursday comes just over a month after the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association voted in favour of a historic statewide strike, which saw demonstrations at 150 public hospitals.
The union says nurses and midwives have become deeply distressed by the government's refusal to acknowledge a health crisis in the public health system.
It said in the weeks since nurses took the historic step to go on strike, there had been five "code yellow" incidents in hospitals, signalling an internal staff emergency.
"These are becoming more frequent across metropolitan and regional sites because of the staffing issues," said Brett Holmes, general secretary of The NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association.
Mr Holmes said they had reports of staff working double shifts and more hours while gaps in rosters went unfilled for weeks, and others received daily text messages begging them to pick up shifts.
"Our members are scathing of the government's unwillingness to continue an open dialogue with us about their claim for shift by shift nurse-to-patient ratios, improved maternity staffing and a modest pay rise."
The union also claims it has not been offered a meeting with the NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, who is currently on paternity leave, since the strike action on February 21.
NSW Health filed a dispute with the NSW Industrial Relations Commission over the strike on Friday, the union said.
The IRC made orders against the action, however the union has signalled that strike action will go ahead.
Nurses are seeking a nurse to patient ratio of one to four, and a pay increase above the 2.5 per cent prescribed by the government.
The premier said following last month's strike he hoped "we can provide a resolution" but the issues are "complex".
He said Health Minister Brad Hazzard was in "constant dialogue" with the unions.
Opposition Leader Chris Minns said last month he believed the government's use of the IRC to try and stop the strike action had been a cynical move.
Mr Minns did not commit to introducing nurse-patient ratios, saying he was not ready to announce Labor's election policies.
Australian Associated Press
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