Tasmanian nurses and midwives are appealing for public support as wage negotiations with the state government enters its 10th month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian Branch have formally rejected the latest offer put forward forward by the state government.
The latest offer includes a 2 per cent increase in the first year, followed by 2.5 per cent in the second and third years.
Acknowledging the government had moved on from its 2 per cent wages cap, ANMF Tasmania branch secretary Emily Shepherd said the union still believed the current offer would not ensure future recruitment and retention.
"ANMF members were recently surveyed. Over 90 per cent of respondents rejected the offer on the premise that it would not ensure the future recruitment and retention of nurses and midwives in the state," she said.
The ANMF is calling for members of the public to write letters in support of nurses and midwives, to the state government.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson has maintained the government is negotiating in good faith with the unions, but that it was committed to striking the right balance between delivering a fair and affordable pay rise and ensuring the budget remained strong.