John Hunter Hospital workers walked off the job for an hour on Wednesday to call for better wages and conditions, while urging the Minns government to make good on election promises.
The industrial action occurred from 10am across four hours, with workers stopping for an hour at a time to highlight cost-of-living pressures, staff shortages and their efforts during the pandemic.
The action involved staff from wards, security, catering, cleaning, allied health and administration, along with radiographers and paramedics.
A stop-work protest also occurred at Morisset Hospital, while workers at other hospitals across the state enacted work bans.
The Health Services Union [HSU], which led the action, is seeking a 6.5 per cent wage increase that includes a 0.5 per cent superannuation rise.
The union also wants the two-month-old Labor government to fulfil its election promise to end the 3 per cent public sector wages cap.
HSU boss Gerard Hayes said he was disappointed with the lack of action on wages from the government, saying there had been "a lot of talk and not a lot of action".
HSU industrial officer for Newcastle Jeremy Lappin said "the government made a promise to the HSU and its members that it would remove the wages cap".
"It's been in power for two months now and nothing's been done," Mr Lappin said.
"The awards are up for pay rises at the start of July. Members are asking for something very reasonable.
"It's in the context of inflation of 7-plus per cent, rents in Newcastle skyrocketing and everyone's mortgages having gone up - some have tripled."
He said the HSU workers were the "absolute core of our response to the COVID pandemic".
"During the pandemic they copped pay rises in the order of 0.3 per cent and they fell further behind and inflation kicked in."
The government has offered a 4 per cent pay rise for one year, but most members have rejected this.
Mr Lappin said the offer included the 0.5 per cent super bump.
"So really it's 3.5 per cent. The Liberals gave us 3 per cent, plus $3000 a year ago. That was a better deal for most people."
Workers at the protest generally earn about $53,000 to $75,000 a year, with many in the $50,000 to $60,000 range, HSU figures show.
The HSU stated that "stagnant wages are contributing to an attraction and retention crisis".
"At last count there were 12,000 vacancies in NSW Health."
HSU member Susan Litchfield, who works at John Hunter, said "we're protesting on many grounds".
"We want the 6 per cent pay rise and the awards reformed. We haven't had a fair pay rise since COVID occurred," she said.
"We've worked very hard and a lot of senior staff have left. They're leaving in droves and they're not replacing people. It's diabolical.
"It's got to a breaking point and people can't afford to live. Some of the base-grade people on a lower wage such as cleaners and wardsmen are really suffering because they did not get a fair pay rise in 2021."
Ms Litchfield said she feared for the public hospital system.
"We're here for the patients and fair pay and conditions. Patient care is in jeopardy," she said.
"We also want to see a royal commission into NSW Health spending because we think there's a lot of waste and spending in areas where there shouldn't be."
The HSU released a report before the March state election that found the system is "at breaking point" and raised concerns about a misallocation of spending.
It found the system focused on unnecessary and expensive procedures, rather than primary or preventive healthcare.
HSU member Jo Egge, who works at John Hunter, said "our workload has risen 10-fold" over the last decade, but wages had not kept up.
"We just want an appropriate amount of wages for a good day's work."
She had worked at the hospital for more than 25 years.
"Our work is very intense. We might as well go work at Woolworths because we're earning the same amount of money," she said.
"Staffing levels have not matched the growth of the hospital. The government was aware of this growth because it encouraged it, but we can't get staff."
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park was approached for comment on the protest.
A NSW government spokesperson responded, saying: "As is standard practice in these circumstances, we are working to minimise any disruption to patients and hospitals of planned industrial action".
Hunter New England Health was approached for comment.
AAP reported that the NSW government introduced legislation on Tuesday to freeze the salaries of MPs and senior bureaucrats for two years to redirect savings to nurses, paramedics, teachers and other frontline workers.
"I would fully anticipate that the savings made will go to boosting and retaining essential services workers in the state," Premier Chris Minns said.
"We have inherited a challenging budget, but budgets are about priorities."
Labor says the wages bill for senior executives in government departments and agencies is about $1 billion a year.
"We are taking action in relation to the explosion of senior executive positions in the NSW government," Mr Minns said.
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