Sydney hospital walkout protests inadequate hospital staffing
https://themilitant.com/2020/12/05/sydney-hospital-walkout-protests-inadequate-hospital-staffing/
BY BOB AIKEN
Vol. 84/No. 49
December 14, 2020
SYDNEY — Over 100 nurses and midwives walked off the job at Blacktown
Hospital in western Sydney Nov. 19 to protest longstanding
understaffing. Staff shortages at the public hospital have been an issue
there for years as management aims to limit spending. Those working in
the maternity department led the latest round of protests.
Births at the hospital have increased by 52.3% since 2015, while
staffing levels have increased by only 11.5%. Nurses say this is unsafe
for both patients and workers, with midwives being scheduled to work
both day and night shifts for up to 64 hours a week, well over the
maximum allowed.
The 24-hour protest strike was joined by nurses from other departments
in the hospital that are also understaffed. The government Industrial
Relations Commission ordered the workers to return to work at 10:30 p.m.
that night.
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Carl Sagan “Why do we put up with it? Do we like to be criticized? No,
no scientist enjoys it. Every scientist feels a proprietary affection
for his or her ideas and findings. Even so, you don’t reply to critics,
Wait a minute; this is a really good idea; I’m very fond of it; it’s
done you no harm; please leave it alone. Instead, the hard but just rule
is that if the ideas don’t work, you must throw them away.” ― Carl
Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
