Arabic version: ممرضو تسمانيا يتظاهرون بسبب مخاوف تتعلق بالأجور والسلامة

According to ABC News, hundreds of nurses, midwives and supporters rallied in Hobart after workers walked off the job at the Royal Hobart Hospital and the Repatriation Centre. Members of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and the Health and Community Services Union protested the Tasmanian government’s first pay and conditions offer.

The proposal includes a 3 per cent pay rise in the first year of a new agreement, followed by increases of 2.75 per cent and 2.5 per cent in subsequent years, or 8.25 per cent across three years. The current enterprise bargaining agreement for nurses and midwives expired in June. The government said it was committed to delivering a pay rise and improved conditions and was working constructively with unions on next steps.

Violence and aggression in workplaces were central concerns during bargaining. Mental Health Services nurse Will Lincoln said health workers had reported being “punched, kicked, spat on, verbally abused, threatened and intimidated”. He said nurses and midwives wanted meaningful measures that provide protection, support and recovery.

ANMF state secretary Emily Shepherd said there were positives in the offer, including new pay allowances for some staff, but members were disappointed that several priority matters were missing or needed improvement. She said additional “personal impact” leave was limited to workers in mental health, emergency and intensive care, despite nurses and midwives facing distressing and traumatic situations across different settings.

Speakers also linked the dispute to understaffing, fatigue and burnout. Royal Hobart Hospital after-hours nurse manager James Lloyd said he had seen more than 20 staffing gaps across the hospital on some early shifts, with only a few casual staff available. Nurse Audrey McAllister said double shifts could leave workers exhausted while still performing clinical duties.