24 Sep 2024 | 03:58 AM UTC
Australia: Nurses and midwives staging ongoing demonstration amid walkout in New South Wales public hospitals Sept. 24
Health workers rallying, striking across New South Wales hospitals, Australia, afternoon of Sept. 24. Confirm medical appointments.
New South Wales Nurses & Midwives Association (NSWNMA) members in public hospitals across New South Wales State are on strike for 24 hours Sept. 24 to demand a 15 percent wage hike. The walkout is affecting nonemergency health services at public hospitals, resulting in the cancellation of at least 494 elective surgeries and the closure of 81 beds across the state. Thousands of unionized nurses and midwives are also staging a demonstration outside the Parliament of New South Wales in Sydney as of the afternoon of Sept. 24.
Increased security and localized transport disruptions are likely around the protest site in the coming hours. The demonstration will likely pass peacefully, although isolated scuffles between police and activists cannot be ruled out. Longer wait times are likely at public hospitals across the state; planned medical appointments Sept. 24 could also face further delays. Lingering disruptions are possible after the strike ends as health workers work to clear backlogs.
Avoid the protest site as a precaution. Confirm medical appointments in advance and prepare for medical service disruptions through at least Sept. 24. Heed all official advisories.
