Tasmanian members of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and Health and Community Services Union maintain they will continue to escalate industrial action, until the government agrees to scrap a 2 per cent wage cap. 

However, Mr Ferguson maintains the government’s offer of 6 per cent over three years was fair and affordable.  

“We already have a plan to employ 800 more nurses and more than 120 extra allied health professionals, as well as open nearly 300 new hospital beds across Tasmania,” he said. 

“Isn’t that the extra support that the union says is needed? We are now constructing the buildings we need to open the beds and employ those front line health staff – as soon as that extra space is available.

“We know there is demand on our health system right now and we believe our hardworking health staff deserve a pay rise. Six per cent over three years is fair for workers and affordable for taxpayers and means we are able to employ those extra workers and open those extra beds.”

On Wednesday HACSU allied health members at Launceston General Hospital resolved to start publicly reporting the number of patients they claim they are unable to treat, because of pressures facing the health system.

HACSU assistant state secretary Robbie Moore said health workers were continuing to leave the state because of noncompetitive wages, and were unable to provide the community with the services it deserves. 

“This is getting really serious. Allied health professionals have dedicated themselves to delivering the best possible outcomes they can for their patients, but the government is mistreating them and refusing to negotiate,” he said.

“The amount of patients they should be treating, that they should be seeing, but that they aren’t is just alarming. Once the community knows this information, it will further demonstrate the health crisis that we have.”