The head of NSW's biggest union, Shaye Candish, has announced her resignation as General Secretary of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) to spend more time with her young family. The Woonona resident and mother of two boys will step down after three years leading the 82,000-member union.
Candish, a former emergency department nurse, was appointed in August 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic when the health system was under extreme stress. She led the union in its largest-ever strikes, fighting for better wages and conditions for nurses and midwives.
She expressed pride in the union's work to recognise the contribution of women workers in the feminised industry. Key achievements include progress on pay, staffing ratios in public hospitals, and recognition of the gendered undervaluation of care professions.
Candish noted record pay increases for aged care nurses, with five pay rises in the past two years, and highlighted the introduction of safe staffing levels in public hospitals as a structural reform. A historic special case remains in the Industrial Relations Commission between the union and the NSW Government, seeking a 35 per cent pay rise over three years.
Candish said she looks forward to spending Christmas with her sons and plans to seek a smaller job closer to home in the new year. She will continue to watch the commission's outcome from the sidelines.
