Thousands Support Call for Nurses and Midwives Base Salary Increase
2 June 2022
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian Branch (ANMF) welcomes the support of the Tasmanian Greens who today tabled the e-petition calling for a base salary increase for Tasmanian Public Sector Nurses and Midwives to address recruitment and retention issues.
With 2404 signatures, an extraordinarily strong result by e-petition standards, this petition shows the strong community support to ensure that Tasmanian can at least be competitive in attracting and retaining the critical nursing and midwifery workforce in Tasmania.
The ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary Emily Shepherd said today, “Tasmanian nurses and midwives are at breaking point, especially after the Tasmanian Budget failed to deliver the required funding to address recruitment and retention issues. This petition shows that there is enormous community support for the government to act on improving the base salary of nurses and midwives so that Tasmanians might have sufficient nurses and midwives to continue to deliver safe and quality health services.”
The ANMF membership across the public sector has commenced industrial action in pursuit of extracting a lifeline from the Tasmanian Government to support an ailing nursing and midwifery workforce.
“The Tasmanian Greens have shown their support for the challenges that nurses and midwives are facing by sponsoring this petition, however, it is completely demoralising for our members that the Tasmanian Government, that has lent on our members throughout a COVID-10 pandemic to keep Tasmanians safe, are not providing essential resources to keep our nurses and midwives safe and well and actually allow a chance for recruitment to enable delivery of safe and quality healthcare services,” Ms Shepherd said.
-End-
Media contact:
Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary
Mobile: 0400 884 021
Email: Emily.Shepherd@anmftas.org.au