Nurses at Ramsay Health Care hospitals in New South Wales announce 24-hour strike (updated)

Ramsay Health Care

25/11/2024 01:57

(Adds details and background in paragraphs 2 - 6)
       Nov 25 (Reuters) - Hundreds of nurses and midwives
across Ramsay Health Care's  RHC.AX  17 hospitals in Australia's
New South Wales will go on a 24-hour strike on Tuesday,
demanding a pay hike and better staffing, a union representing
them said on Monday.
    "Our members are demanding a 20% pay increase over three
years and mandated nurse/midwife to patient ratios across all
wards and units in Ramsay hospitals," New South Wales Nurses and
Midwives' Association (NSWNMA) General Secretary Shaye Candish
said in a statement. The association also plans to protest
outside Ramsay's annual general meeting venue on Tuesday.
    Ramsay nurses and midwives in Queensland are paid up to 14%
more than those in NSW, according to the union.
    A majority of the staff had already voted down two pay
offers by Ramsay, one of Australia's largest private hospital
operators, since they started pay negotiations in April 2023,
and are yet to reach an agreement with the hospital operator,
the union further said.
    "We're urging Ramsay to come to the table and resolve this
long-running pay dispute before Christmas," Candish said.
    Ramsay did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for
comment.
    Shares of Ramsay slipped 0.5% to A$38.84, while the broader
ASX index  .AXJO  notched a record high earlier in the day.

 (Reporting by Rajasik Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Sumana
Nandy)
 ((Rajasik.Mukherjee@thomsonreuters.com;))