NSW Public Hospital Doctors Begin Historic Three-Day Strike Over Pay and Conditions
The strike, defying Industrial Relations Commission orders, demands a 30% pay rise and reforms to address unsafe working conditions and chronic understaffing.
- Thousands of doctors from over 30 public hospitals in New South Wales have commenced a three-day strike, the first of its kind since 1998, to push for better pay and working conditions.
- The Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation (ASMOF) is demanding a 30% pay increase to match salaries in other states, rejecting the government's offer of 10.5% over three years.
- Emergency departments and intensive care units will maintain public holiday staffing levels to ensure patient safety, but hundreds of elective surgeries and specialist appointments have been postponed.
- Doctors cite unsafe working hours, chronic understaffing, and burnout as key reasons for the strike, with many reporting excessive 16-hour shifts and lack of guaranteed breaks.
- The industrial action proceeds despite orders from the Industrial Relations Commission prohibiting it, with the government warning of significant disruptions to the health system and patient care.
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