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

By Rajasik Mukherjee

(Reuters) -Hundreds of nurses and midwives across Ramsay Health Care's 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, in an email to Reuters, said it will do its best to minimise any impact from the strike.

A majority of the staff had already voted down two pay offers by the hospital operator since pay negotiations began in April 2023, and are yet to reach an agreement, the union further said.

Ramsay nurses and midwives in Queensland are paid up to 14% more than those in NSW, according to the union.

"Ramsay has been responsive to the union's demands throughout our negotiations and continued to bargain in good faith," Ramsay, one of Australia's largest private hospital operator, said.

"It is disappointing that the union failed to consult with our nurses and midwives as it indicated it would before rejecting our latest proposal."

"We're urging Ramsay to come to the table and resolve this long-running pay dispute before Christmas," Candish said.

The strike highlights the growing angst among workers in Australia demanding higher pay to deal with the sticky inflation and cost of living pressures in the country.

Interest rates in Australia remain at more than a decade high, with underlying inflation still proving to be sticky.

Ramsay's shares fell 1.3% to A$38.55 at 0228 GMT, while the broader ASX index notched a record high earlier in the day.

(Reporting by John Biju and Rajasik Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Additonal reporting by Sherin Sunny; Editing by Sumana Nandy)