Hundreds of Hunter nurses and midwives joined a huge rally in Sydney on Wednesday to renew calls for a one-year 15 per cent pay rise.
The rally was part of a 24-hour statewide strike over the NSW government's "appalling disrespect for nurses and midwives".
It followed two strikes - for 12 hours and 24 hours - over the same issue in September.
John Hunter Hospital branch secretary for the nurse union Linda Mobbs said about 12,000 people attended the rally.
Ms Mobbs said about 450 John Hunter nurses were on strike in total, as the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association ramped up action.
Nurses from Maitland, Belmont and Cessnock hospitals were also among the crowd.
The NSW government announced last week that police would get a "generational" pay increase of up to 40 per cent over four years.
Ms Mobbs said this "incensed nurses even more and drove extra numbers to the rally".
She said Premier Chris Minns had made comments about public sector workers "getting the same pay rise".
The Minns government offered a 10.5 per cent wage increase to all public-sector workers over three years.
"When we put our claim in for the 15 per cent, he said he couldn't possibly do that because everyone would come knocking at the door," Ms Mobbs said.
"Well he's opened the door and slammed it in our face."
Ms Mobbs said police deserve the pay rise, as "they do a great job under hard conditions".
"They reckon they had to give that pay rise because their recruitment and retention had been suffering," she said.
"Our recruitment and retention is really suffering. So why can't he do something for NSW nurses?"
She said the government had done deals with paramedics and other healthcare workers in hospitals, but not nurses.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the government had "made major investments in nursing and midwifery wages".
Mr Park said this included removing the wage cap and providing a 4.5 per cent increase last year, along with the 10.5 per cent offer over three years.
"Combined this is around a $15,000 increase for the typical nurse per annum," he said.
"Over the course of four weeks of intensive negotiations, we have reached agreement on all of the association's non-wage claims."
Mr Park said the government had "put forward a range of options to fund and deliver a new increased wage offer".
He said nursing numbers were "at record levels", increasing by more than 2000 full-time equivalent positions to more than 56,000 since the government took office.
However, nurses said the public health system was "dealing with a major staffing crisis", with rising overtime and staff turnover.
They said burnout and exhaustion were at high levels and many workers need more financial security.
Ms Mobbs said the government was "not being open and honest" about the situation.
"He [the Premier] said there's too many nurses and midwives to be able to give the pay rise. That is no excuse.
"They say there's no extra money, but they've been crying poor and then waltzed out and given the police this pay rise."
In question time in Parliament, the Opposition drew attention to nurses in the gallery and suggested Labor walked away from pre-election pledges.
"What did you promise?" Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said.
"Other than (lifting) the wages cap, nothing," Mr Minns replied from his seat.
