Illawarra nurses rally for pay rise they say they cannot live on
Nurses at private Illawarra hospitals rallied on October 22 demanding higher pay.
Nurses at Wollongong Day Surgery and Shellharbour Private Hospital held a two-hour stopwork rally on Thursday, 22 October. One nurse said fuel costs now stop her visiting her grandmother in palliative care on the South Coast.
Vicki Newman struggled to pay her mortgage as rates rise. A third nurse sends money home to family in the Philippines but rising grocery and fuel prices leave her less to support them.
The three nurses have 33 years of experience between them. Healthe Care, which runs both sites, is offering 8.4 per cent pay over three years.
The nurses' union says this is below inflation. Down the coast in Warilla, disability and community sector workers held their own rally, wearing blonde wigs and dancing to Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" to highlight their case.
- October 22
- Date
- 33 years
- Combined experience
- 8.4% over 3 years
- Pay offer
- Healthe Care
- Employer
Why it mattersSkilled healthcare and community workers cannot afford basic living costs on their current pay, raising questions about whether essential services can retain experienced staff.
AustraliaIllawarra nurses and carers are struggling to stay in their jobs and communities. Private hospitals in NSW are facing industrial action over pay. Public sector nurses won a 16 per cent deal in April 2026, but private sector progress lags.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 4 h ago
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