To: Health Minister Bridget Archer and Treasurer Eric Abetz
Stand Up For Tasmanian Nurses
HACSU nurses have been negotiating in good faith with the Tasmanian Government for a fair and reasonable enterprise agreement for much of 2026. Despite ongoing talks, the government has failed to put forward an offer that reflects the value of the work nurses do every single day, in every hospital, ward and clinic across the state.
Tasmanian nurses have had enough of being left behind. Some of their fair and reasonable claims include:
Pay parity with interstate nurses: Tasmanian nurses deserve wage growth that keeps pace with our colleagues interstate, not a widening gap that pushes skilled, experienced nurses across the Strait for better pay and conditions.
Occupational violence allowance: Nurses working in high-risk areas, including Emergency Departments and mental health units, face real and growing risks of violence and aggression at work. An occupational violence allowance recognises this risk and supports the nurses who face it on every shift.
Sunday penalty rates: Every other healthcare worker in Tasmania already receives 200% penalty rates for Sunday shifts. Nurses are asking for nothing more than the same recognition for the weekend work they do.
Pay parity with interstate nurses: Tasmanian nurses deserve wage growth that keeps pace with our colleagues interstate, not a widening gap that pushes skilled, experienced nurses across the Strait for better pay and conditions.
Occupational violence allowance: Nurses working in high-risk areas, including Emergency Departments and mental health units, face real and growing risks of violence and aggression at work. An occupational violence allowance recognises this risk and supports the nurses who face it on every shift.
Sunday penalty rates: Every other healthcare worker in Tasmania already receives 200% penalty rates for Sunday shifts. Nurses are asking for nothing more than the same recognition for the weekend work they do.
Subsidised parking: Nurses shouldn't be paying out of pocket just to get to the job of caring for our community. Subsidised parking is a basic, practical measure of respect for the workforce keeping our health system running.
We are calling on Health Minister Bridget Archer and Treasurer Eric Abetz to deliver a fair and reasonable offer that addresses nurses' concerns and recognises the crucial work they do.
We are calling on Health Minister Bridget Archer and Treasurer Eric Abetz to deliver a fair and reasonable offer that addresses nurses' concerns and recognises the crucial work they do.
Why is this important?
Nurses are the backbone of Tasmania's health system. When wards are understaffed and nurses are stretched thin, it's not just nurses who feel it, it's every Tasmanian who relies on a hospital bed, an emergency department, or a clinic appointment when they're at their most vulnerable.
This isn't just about pay. It's about:
- Safe staffing levels, so nurses aren't stretched across too many patients at once
- Retaining experienced nurses, instead of losing them to burnout or interstate jobs with better conditions
- A functioning public health system that Tasmanians can rely on in an emergency
- Fair recognition for a workforce that shows up through every crisis, every night shift, every understaffed ward
