NSW Health Services Union's Gerard Hayes warns more frontline workers will move to Victoria and Queensland for better pay
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Published August 9, 2023
Sky News Australia, 9th August 2023
A union boss has declared Premiers Daniel Andrews and Annastacia Palaszczuk are benefiting from the ongoing stoush between unions and the NSW government over pay of essential workers.
A union boss has conceded frontline staff will leave New South Wales to chase lucrative pay packets being offered by other states desperate to fill worker shortages.
Health Service Union Secretary Gerard Hayes struck a deal with the Minns government for a flat increase of $3,500 and a 0.5 per cent bump in superannuation.
It means lower paid staff such as cleaners would see their pay increase by about eight per cent, while is not as significant for some health professionals earning a larger salary.
But other allied health workers are frustrated as they face a 2.7 per cent rise, which is below the four per cent agreed to by a slim majority of nurses and midwives this week.
Mr Hayes told Sky News Australia host Laura Jayes on Wednesday the four per cent deal from the government is not keeping up with the rise in cost of living and inflation.
"Four per cent is at least two per cent behind inflation at the moment," he said.
The union secretary argued his thousands of members were "better off" in Queensland instead of being under the current NSW Labor government.
"And what we’ve see now whether you’re a paramedic, allied health professional, or a range of other professions, wages in Victoria, ACT and Queensland are $10,000-$15,000 more, so there’s been movement over the past decade," Mr Hayes said.
It has meant paramedics are securing jobs interstate before finishing their training.
"So, we are the charitable state that we’ll train and then we’ll sort of let Dan Andrews and Annastacia Palaszczuk reap the reward of our investment," Mr Hayes told Jayes.
"So, this from a market-driven perspective doesn’t make sense let alone an industrial perspective."
A union boss has conceded frontline staff will leave New South Wales to chase lucrative pay packets being offered by other states desperate to fill worker shortages.
Health Service Union Secretary Gerard Hayes struck a deal with the Minns government for a flat increase of $3,500 and a 0.5 per cent bump in superannuation.
It means lower paid staff such as cleaners would see their pay increase by about eight per cent, while is not as significant for some health professionals earning a larger salary.
But other allied health workers are frustrated as they face a 2.7 per cent rise, which is below the four per cent agreed to by a slim majority of nurses and midwives this week.
NSW Health Services Union Secretary Gerard Hayes has warned workers will leave the Harbour City and move interstate where better pay packets are on offer.
Mr Hayes told Sky News Australia host Laura Jayes on Wednesday the four per cent deal from the government is not keeping up with the rise in cost of living and inflation.
"Four per cent is at least two per cent behind inflation at the moment," he said.
The union secretary argued his thousands of members were "better off" in Queensland instead of being under the current NSW Labor government.
"And what we’ve see now whether you’re a paramedic, allied health professional, or a range of other professions, wages in Victoria, ACT and Queensland are $10,000-$15,000 more, so there’s been movement over the past decade," Mr Hayes said.
It has meant paramedics are securing jobs interstate before finishing their training.
"So, we are the charitable state that we’ll train and then we’ll sort of let Dan Andrews and Annastacia Palaszczuk reap the reward of our investment," Mr Hayes told Jayes.
"So, this from a market-driven perspective doesn’t make sense let alone an industrial perspective."
The union secretary argued his thousands of members were "better off" in Queensland instead of being under the current NSW Labor government. The Health Services Union has warned it will continue to lobby for better pay and work conditions for all its members, with potential for further industrial action.
Mr Hayes stressed to the government it will lose workers, some who are struggling to even make the daily commute to get to hospitals, if a better deal is not offered.
"I’ve seen this week alone three sets of members moving to Queensland for two reasons, one, you get paid more there and two, the cost of living in New South Wales is getting worse every day," he said on AM Agenda.
"This is going to be a natural movement of people looking at their hip pocket and saying, ‘I don’t want to do it but I’ve got to make that choice cause I have to do it’."
The teachers pay rise was also touched on, with news this week Mr Minns reneged on a deal which could have seen salaries of educators rise by up to 12 per cent.
The state government offered a four-year agreement which would include a 2.5 per cent cap on wages from the second year, leading to protesters confronting the Premier.
Mr Minns was boarding a plane in the regional town of Griffith when he "betrayed" teachers holding placards screamed at him for failing to honour the deal.
"Go back to your city. We put you in, we'll get you out," one demonstrator yelled.
Mr Hayes argued the 2.5 per cent agreement for teachers meant the "wage cap is firmly on", fearing it would likely also apply to the health sector.