NSW private hospital nurses launch industrial action over pay and staffing ratios

Key points

• Nurses and midwives across NSW private hospitals have voted to take industrial action after six months of failed pay talks. The NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association says 96.5 per cent of members who voted backed the action, which begins in the Illawarra on Thursday.
• The union is demanding enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios and wages matching the public system, with Healthe Care's offer described as falling short.
• Further stoppages are expected across the operator's hospitals in the coming weeks, with no details yet on which sites or how long they will last.