2023-02-06
The Greens have restated their commitment to scrapping the public sector wage cap and introducing a 15% pay rise for Teachers, Nurses, Midwives and Paramedics - and backing in investment in the public service - in response to reports of serious staffing shortages further highlighting the desperate need to address pay and conditions for frontline workers.
“The Greens will overhaul the unfair wage freeze. We will mandate staff to patient ratios in hospitals, fix chronic staff shortages in schools, take urgent intervention to alleviate unreasonable workloads, and properly resource our schools, hospitals, public services and on our public transport systems,” Greens NSW Industrial Relations spokesperson Jenny Leong MP said.
“We have heard the cries of teachers, nurses, midwives, paramedics, transport workers, and seen them taking collective strike action on the streets sounding the alarm over the past year."
“Years of disrespect of workers from this government has burnt essential workers out, turned the jobs people used to love into ones they can no longer afford to do and gutted our public sector."
“Instead of listening to workers who have been taking action and exposing the underpay, poor conditions and genuine safety concerns as a result of years of underfunding our essential public services, the Perrottet Liberal/National Government has continued their arrogant disregard for workers and our communities’ needs."
“The Greens stand with unions in support of their demands for better pay and conditions - and remain committed to scrapping the public sector wage cap as well as delivering a 15% pay rise to teachers, nurses, midwives and paramedics."
“Years of underfunding and over-corporatising has wreaked havoc on our public services - so it is no surprise that nurses, teachers, paramedics, midwives and those working in essential frontline public services are at breaking point,” Ms Leong said.
“The Greens will always back the basic right of unions and their members to engage in peaceful protest and strike action as a way to advance their pay and conditions - and reject the criminalisation of this collective action."
“The Greens know that there is one way to address the growing worker shortage in our schools, hospitals and public service and that is to listen to the demands of workers by increasing pay and significantly improving conditions."
“The Greens will restore our essential public services by giving teachers, nurses and paramedics fair wages and conditions and putting vital funding back into the services that are the lifeblood of our state,” Ms Leong said.