Wagga hospital staff from all departments involved in Health Services Union strike

Local members of the Health Services Union went on strike today calling for a 5.5 per cent pay rise in line with inflation, to help with the cost of living and support a cohort which has worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Support service worker Garry Coad said that the financial burden on hospital staff is so extensive that some people are seeking out a second job.

"They work full-time for the government they should be earning enough money to just stick with one job," he said.

Dedicated industrial action for Wagga's nurses and paramedics has taken place throughout the past few months, but Thursday's strike shone the spotlight on a new group - the cleaning, admin, allied health, security, catering and ward workers who all play a role in keeping hospitals running.

HSU organiser for the Murrumbidgee Rebecca Viney said yesterday's strike was "not a fight against management [but] a fight against the government", saying that a 'thank-you' to staff for their hard work "doesn't cut it anymore".

Mr Coad said morale is at an all-time low due to the stressful workloads - the worst he has seen since starting at Wagga Base three years ago.

"Some of the people that I've worked with for the last two years in the emergency department are fantastic people and you never see them flat, but they're flat now," he said.

"It's just not sustainable."

Mr Coad has worked with COVID patients throughout the entire pandemic and said the working conditions have left staff burnt out, particularly after the first year of the pandemic when 12 hour, overnight shifts were common.

"A lot of us broke after that first year, we had to take some time off," he said.

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"They've adjusted that shift to about eight and a half hours now [but] it still takes a toll on you; I'm about ten kilos lighter than I was at the start of the pandemic."

Wagga Base cleaner Noel Siebels said along with a pay rise, staff would like to see more breaks introduced.

"People are stressed, they're tired, they need a break," he said.

"Now because of the high stress levels we're having, we're getting a lot of bickering and fighting and it's just making it hard on everyone."

Chief Executive of the Murrumbidgee Local Health District Jill Ludford said delegates from healthcare unions have worked with the district to ensure patient care is maintained during times of industrial action.

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