Nurses and midwives say they will continue to stare down the NSW Government's public sector wage freeze, with a showdown now set for the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (NSW IRC).
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Despite Labor, the Greens and almost all crossbenchers successfully blocking the wage freeze from passing the parliament, the government will attempt to force it through the IRC.
One Nation and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers supported Labor's motion in the NSW upper house to overturn the wage freeze regulation, with Christian Democrats MP Fred Nile the only crossbencher to vote with the Coalition.
NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association (NSWNMA) General Secretary Brett Holmes said members were relieved a disallowance motion succeeded, and would not back down from the fight to secure their 2.5 per cent pay increase.
"The government is confident it can convince the IRC that nurses, midwives and other public sector workers are worth 0% in their contribution to the state," said Mr Holmes.
"Nurses and midwives face an enormous workload in the recovery from COVID-19, including a massive elective surgery backlog, yet the government thinks this extra productivity amounts to zero.
"It's an insulting argument by the government which polarises and devalues thousands of nurses and midwives who already feel like yesterday's heroes."
The government has maintained the freeze would save $3 billion which it would invest in job creation and infrastructure. Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the government had to consider the best interests of the eight million people living across the state.
The NSWNMA filed an application to the IRC last month, in an effort to secure the 2.5% pay increase.
They claim that they have been put at risk by poor supply and shoddy quality Personal Protective Equipment by a government unprepared for the pandemic.
"In another act of desperation, the Treasurer and Premier are now trying to blackmail nurses and midwives with threats of forced redundancies," Mr Holmes said. "They've effectively told nurses and midwives they could be sacked, in order to create jobs for others - this is another insult to the NSW community.
"Nurses and midwives perform a vital service. At the last election, the Berejiklian Government promised 5,000 more nurses and midwives to meet increasing demand.
"Whether public services are in hospitals, schools, correctional centres, family and community services, transport, or on the street with firefighters, paramedics and police, they are all essential."
Nurses and midwives at Maitland Hospital took part in a voluntary protest at the Premier's plan on Tuesday.
It followed a move by paramedics not to charge people to highlight their anger at the government.
"We felt it important that we let Premier Gladys Berejiklian know what we think of her decision to freeze wages," Emily Suvaal, Nurses and Midwives Maitland organiser said at the time. "It's really poor form."
