NSW IRC decision prompts "mixed emotions" from nurses and midwives

A 16 April wage ruling by the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) has prompted mixed emotions from the state’s public sector nurses and midwives, NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) has said, citing fears the pay increase awarded to registered nurses and midwives will not fix the structural reform that is needed. IRC’s decision was historic, NSWNMA General Secretary Michael Whaites said, but fell short of what was needed to repair the state’s public health system.

A three-year wage deal from 1 July 2025 awarded by the Full Bench of the IRC sees 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).

“Today’s announcement gives a record-breaking pay deal for nurses and midwives in New South Wales. Yet for registered nurses and midwives it is not enough to fix the structural reform that we need in this state,” Whaites said. “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.

“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 that they know nurses and midwives are worth more, we just can’t afford it and yet, 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 NSW 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.

“We welcome the return of a court of arbitration for public sector wage disputes. This has assisted us in redressing the damage done by the previous government’s wage cap which saw the real value of our members’ wages decrease.”

According to NSWNMA, in early 2025 NSWNMA filed the state’s largest wage case comprising more than 17,000 pages of evidence, “to demonstrate the work value of nurses and midwives and the historic gendered undervaluation of the professions”.

The full decision can be found here, on the NSW IRC website.

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