About 100 Hunter hospital staff walked off the job on Thursday as part of a state-wide strike to demand a pay rise.
Ambulance, cleaning, allied health, admin, security, catering and ward staff rallied at John Hunter Hospital, calling for better pay and more resources.
The Health Services Union are campaigning for a 5.5 per cent pay rise to account for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the surging cost of living.
However, under the state's wages cap public sector pay increases can not legally exceed 2.5 per cent.
Dietary assistant Craig Pepper said genuine action from the government needs to be taken.
"We don't want to be health heroes, we are not that. We are just workers and people that actually care about our community. We care about the people who come into this hospital and that is why we come to work each day," he said.
"We are not striking against a lack of praise, we are striking against the lack of wage increase by the government and the out of date awards that the government hasn't actually looked at because a lot of jobs and duties that we do these days doesn't even come under it.
"The state government continually say that hospitals aren't under pressure. We are under pressure on the front line each day. We are mentally exhausted. Just give us a fair go because at this point it is ridiculous."
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the government has done enough to lessen the financial strains facing health care workers.
"The NSW government has led the way when it comes to wage increases across the country and this has been lost in the debate," he said on Wednesday.
"A 2.5 per cent pay increase annually over this period of time has far exceeded private sector wage growth."
John Hunter Hospital cleaner Margaret Davies said it is not just nurses and doctors that need a pay rise for the extra work they have had to pick up because of the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are all struggling too. All the cleaners are tired. We are worn out. Rosters have changed, hours have changed," she said.
"Because of the pandemic we have had to do extra duties to make sure the public are okay, things are clean, people are moved. We have had to step up or step down but we are still on the same wage no matter what.
"I think all of us that work in health are all suffering the same. It doesn't matter who we are or what we are doing we are all forgotten. Thank you is just not enough."
John Hunter Hospital senior security officer Boyd Hanson said security officers in hospitals have also been ignored.
"It has been a strain. There has been an increase in aggression at the hospitals, frustration from people, understaffing. It is just never ending understaffing," he said.
"We have been arguing with management about the number of security here onsite for a long time and it just seems to go on deaf ears but we are still relied upon to do our job.
"The cost of living keeps going up but we don't get the money to cover it. We are just expected to come here and work our butts off alongside all the stress that we are under for no return.
"If the public actually knew the amount of aggression that happened in hospitals they would be shocked. It is a daily occurrence, it is not just a weekly or monthly occurrence. It is not just physical aggression, it is verbal too and we are tired."
The NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association met with the state government on Thursday to discuss staffing improvements and better pay for nurses and midwives after they went on strike last week.
