Nurses and midwives reject Victorian government offer, ramp up industrial action
Public sector nurses and midwives have rejected a Victorian government pay offer, instead voting to step up their campaign for better pay.
A mass stop-work action was held at Moonee Valley Racecourse this afternoon, where union members knocked back a wage offer from the government of a yearly three per cent increase for permanent staff.
Nurses will refuse to do overtime, there will be paperwork bans, discussions with patients, red campaign t-shirts and messages on work cars as stage one of the industrial action next Tuesday.
READ MORE: Troubling reality about our superannuation
About 700 union members and workers rallied for better conditions at Moonee Valley Racecourse. Aisha Dow
If there's no 'acceptable offer' after two weeks, the action will ramp up.
One in four hospital beds will close, one in four elective operations will be cancelled and stop-work meetings will be held.
The union said the public sector had been plugging rosters with casual staff and the workforce was drowning.
READ MORE: Grim new interest rate forecast from nation's biggest bank
Public sector nurses and midwives have rejected a Victorian government pay offer. Nine
About 700 workers were bussed in from across the state to have their say.
The last time Victoria had industrial action of this scale was 13 years ago when nurses and midwives across the state became so frustrated they walked off the job.
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
