Greens welcome NurseKeeper Bonus, but Premier’s Pay Cut a Slap in the Face for Healthcare Workers
While a pandemic payment will be welcomed by healthcare workers, a 3% wage cap will see healthcare workers take an effective pay cut for the third year in a row and will do nothing to stop the exodus of exhausted workers out of the public health system, says Cate Faehrmann, Greens MP and health spokesperson.
The NSW Government announced the $3,000 thankyou bonus 6 months after Cate Faehrmann launched a campaign calling for a $5,000 ‘Nursekeeper’ pandemic bonus to retain healthcare workers.
“How can the Premier stand there and tell our healthcare workers, who have gone through hell protecting us during the pandemic, that they can continue to watch their wages slide backwards?,” said Cate Faehrmann.
“The new wage cap will see healthcare workers effectively take a pay cut for the 3rd year in a row. It’s nowhere near good enough.
“If the Government doesn’t pay healthcare workers properly we will continue to see resignations that our public healthcare system cannot afford.
“I’ve been calling for a one-off pandemic payment since January this year so this payment, while welcome, should have been matched by a generous pay rise above inflation,” said Ms Faehrmann.