NURSES and midwives will receive their largest pay increase in more than 20 years after a ruling from the NSW Industrial Relations Commission this week ended a two-year dispute.

However, NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association assistant general secretary, Katrina Bough, said the IRC’s decision does not address cost-of-living pressures and workforce challenges being felt across the state.

“The decision is unlikely to assist in attracting new experienced nurses and midwives to our professions,” Ms Bough said.

“It risks more experienced nurses and midwives leaving our public health system in coming years, which will result in increased staffing challenges in an already stressed system.

“Nurses and midwives are struggling to pay the bills in this cost-of living crisis. While we welcome the boost to their wages, it doesn’t address the gap between male dominated industries and our heavily feminised workforce.

“The NSW Government cannot hide behind this decision. They must take responsibility for the ongoing crisis that will continue to be driven by a rate of pay that does not address gender undervaluation of nurses and midwives in NSW,” she said.

The Full Bench of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission awarded a three-year wage deal backdated to July 1 last year, including 16% for registered nurses and midwives – 10% in the first year, followed by 3% in the remaining two years; 18% for enrolled nurses – 12% in the first year, followed by 3% in the remaining two years; and 28% for assistants in nursing and midwifery – 22% in the first year, followed by 3% in the remaining two years.

NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association general secretary, Michael Whaites, said the NSW Industrial Relations Commission’s decision was historic but fell short of what was needed to repair the state’s public health system.

“Today’s announcement gives a record-breaking pay deal for nurses and midwives in New South Wales,” Mr Whaites said.

“Yet for registered nurses and midwives it is not enough to fix the structural reform that we need in this state,” said Mr Whaites.

“Registered nurses and midwives are the backbone of this workforce. They are the majority of this workforce, and we had hoped for a better outcome for them.

Moree District Hospital staff stopped work in 2024. Nurses and midwives across New South Wales were awarded wage increases this week (Image Supplied).

“For enrolled nurses and assistants in nursing and midwifery, this is a great outcome.

“It recognises the undervaluation of the work that they do and gives them the recognition they rightly deserve.

“We respect the IRC’s decision in awarding these increases to nurses and midwives, but it leaves further work for the NSW government to do.

“Throughout our campaign, we had politician after politician saying they know nurses and midwives are worth more, we just can’t afford and here again today we hear that registered nurses and midwives should be paid more, but we just can’t afford it.

“In handing down its decision, the Full Bench highlighted that our members are essential, irreplaceable and, ‘historically undervalued’ while also citing the IRC’s obligation to consider the state of the New South Wales economy. This isn’t a reflection on the quality of our case, but rather an outcome of the arbitration process.

“This is an outcome that says that women’s work has to remain undervalued because of the economy – that’s an appalling position for us to be in in 2026. We will continue to campaign for our registered nurses and midwives to make sure they’re valued for the work they do.”

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said nurses and midwives are the beating heart of the health workforce. “While we acknowledge this was a hard-fought dispute, we believe it is a fair outcome,” Mr Mookhey.

“Bringing back the Industrial Relations Commission to serve as an independent umpire is a much better way to resolve a dispute than a blunt wages cap.”

Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis said the days of governments dictating wages are now over.

“We’ve introduced a modern bargaining framework, rebuilt the Industrial Relations Commission and we’ve changed the law to put the achievement of gender equity as an object of the Act,” she said.

“90 per cent of nurses and midwives are women, and today’s outcome demonstrates why gender equity matters.”