Thousands of doctors across NSW went on strike this week, from Tuesday 8th April to Thursday 10th April. The 3-day industrial action was led by members of The Doctors’ Union — Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation (ASMOF) New South Wales.
This is the first time that doctors in NSW have taken industrial action since 1998. It is also the first time in NSW that both junior and senior doctors have gone on strike.
Honi’s coverage of ASMOF’s initial strike announcement can be found here.
St George Hospital strike recap
Honi was present at St George Hospital on 9th April, day two of the strike. Hundreds of doctors from different departments and hospitals all across Sydney congregated in front of the Hospital. ASMOF councillors spoke to the crowd about the urgent public healthcare crisis in NSW.
Dr Behny Samadi, ICU doctor and ASMOF councillor, spoke to the NSW public healthcare system’s crisis of understaffed hospitals and overworked doctors. Dr Samadi cited ASMOF’s demands, urging doctors’ to fight for safe working hours, rostering conditions, and pay parity.
Dr Dominic Horne, anaesthetics Fellow and ASMOF councillor, spoke at the St George strike. “I call on the Health Minister, I call on New South Wales Health…stop trying to bully us.” He spoke against NSW Health’s anti-union tactics, and emphasised the need to stop “the talent drain from our state” as doctors leave NSW for higher pay.
The strike contingent marched from the Hospital to Premier Chris Minns’ office, chanting “safe conditions, safe care!” Multiple buses and trucks beeped their horns in solidarity as they drove past.
In front of Minns’ office, hundreds of doctors angrily chanted “we’ll be back!”
Mythbusters: common misconceptions about the Doctors’ Union strike
- All doctors are already well-paid.
ASMOF is a union for doctors working within the public healthcare system. Salaries in the public system are significantly lower than those in the private sector.
NSW is, on average, 30 per cent behind doctors’ salaries in other Australian states. NSW is the most expensive state in Australia.
Junior Medical Officers (JMOs) are paid $38 per hour, which is a $78,000 annual salary. JMOs in Victoria and Western Australia make $83,000 annually. JMOs in Queensland make $90,000.
- The strike was all about getting a pay rise.
This is incorrect. ASMOF has 10 key demands for Award reform, many concerned with unsafe working conditions.
The aim of Award reform is to guarantee safer working conditions for doctors so they can provide safe care for patients.
The aim of increasing pay is for pay parity with the rest of Australia, remuneration commensurate with labour and experience, and to prevent the mass exodus of NSW doctors to the private sector or other states.
- Doctors’ strikes put patients at risk.
ASMOF had stated that “patient safety will not be compromised” due to the strike.
Emergency departments and critical care units remained fully staffed at regular levels. All other hospital departments, if striking, ensured ‘skeleton staffing’ to operate at public holiday levels.
Credit: ASMOF NSW
Honi had a chat with Dr Dominic Horne about the Doctors’ Union strike and the Minns government.
Honi Soit: Doctors haven’t been on strike since 1998. What was the tipping point this time around?
Dr Dominic Horne: Everybody is at work each day knowing more and more of their colleagues are leaving because of the Award conditions in this state. And then to have an employer that openly threatens us has pushed people to the edge…The working conditions…There’s no safe hours clause…Staff Specialists have to come in in the middle of the night for emergency surgery — the life-saving procedures to deliver babies — just to not be remunerated whatsoever and then to be treated with contempt from their employer, has just pushed people to the edge.
HS: What would you say to your colleagues who have yet to join the union action?
DH: Why not? Because we all feel the pressure of trying to care for patients, and we all feel an employer who’s threatening us, but I encourage them not to be intimidated and to stand up to this government to provide safe patient care…We need Award reform to provide safe patient care.
Dr Horne speaking to doctors on strike in front of St George Hospital
Credit: ASMOF NSW
HS: What do you think about Chris Minns using the local health district as a way to gain political points? He came to St George Hospital before the 2022 state election to campaign and made promises about fixing the healthcare system.
DH: Then come talk to us today, Premier Minns. Because we’re trying to find you, we’re at the Hospital, we’re here at your offices in your own local health district and we’ve wanted to talk to you for 18 months. We’ve been at the bargaining table where you haven’t given us anything to talk to you about. You’ve sent representatives who don’t have the authority to make any decisions to fix our Award. So, it’s time you come talk to us again.
More information on the Doctors’ Union ‘Can’t see a doctor? Ask the Premier’ campaign can be found at https://www.cantseeadoctor.com.au
