Staff at the state’s four public hospitals will step up industrial action over the coming days with a series of stop-work meetings.
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The action comes as negotiations continue between the government and the public sector workforce over pay and conditions.
The government has refused to budge on its 2 per cent pay rise policy for the state’s 29,000 public sector workers.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation state secretary Emily Shepherd said nurses and midwives would not perform any after-hours elective surgery as part of the action.
“Nurses don't like industrial action but they have to highlight the situation and lack of goodwill from the government,” she said.
“To improve the situation we need to recruit and retain nurses and midwives and the government needs to negotiate a competitive package.
“We have an ageing workforce and we already have vacancies.
“You can't attract staff when you can get paid $10,000 more in other states.”
Health and Community Services Union secretary Tim Jacobson said action would continue each week until the government relented.
“The new bans are an expression of continued frustration at the government’s ridiculous, self-imposed wages policy,” he said.