Big Actions Across World Highlight Global Day of Action by Nurses, Healthcare Workers in 13 Countries

United in Call for End to Austerity, Healthcare Cuts, and a Robin Hood Tax 

Major nurse and healthcare union organizations marched, rallied, and held other actions in 13 countries Tuesday in the first coordinated global day of action in a call to stop the harmful effects of austerity measures, cuts in health care services, improved patient care, and economic healing and recovery.

Many of the actions, including a colorful march and rally in New York City by thousands of members of healthcare, labor, and community groups also stepped up the push for a tax on financial speculation, also known as the Robin Hood tax to raise the hundreds of billions of dollars from the banks and speculators to promote the global healing. The New York action also marked the second anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement and the opening of the United Nations General Assembly.

The international events were the first series of events stemming from the June founding of Global Nurses United which united the leading nurse and healthcare unions in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe to work together.

In addition to the huge New York march, other highlights included:

• Australia – scores of nurses and midwives rallying across Sydney, including at the New South Wales Parliament House for nurse-to-patient ratios and opposing budget cuts. Queensland nurses held workplace actions, published ads, took other actions in support of the global day
• Honduras – thousands rallying in front of the government house in Tegucigalpa for improved patient care in the public hospitals and the hiring of more nurses 
• Dominican Republic – actions in Santo Domingo and Santiago calling on the government to increase funding for vital public health services
• South Korea – a march by 1,000 nurses and allies on the Korean National Assembly in Seoul, September 12 demanding an end to austerity, and a call to save the big Jin Ju Medical Center, and pass the Robin Hood Tax
• Canada – nurses rallying in Calgary, Alberta against cuts in the provincial healthcare system
• Guatemala – thousands joining a mobilization in Guatemala City to oppose austerity measures and pass the Robin Hood tax
• Argentina – an action demanding full funding of public health care, respect for the rights of nurses and other health care workers, and in support of the Robin Hood Tax.
• Costa Rica – health care workers rallying to demand nurses’ rights to collectively bargain and to strike and will then deliver a demand to the government to fully fund public health care
• South Africa – nurses stepped up a petition drive to oppose austerity measures and support the Robin Hood tax. That followed an action earlier in the week office when nurses and allies marched on the Ministry of Health in the Eastern Cape province demanding solutions to the chronic health problems facing the province. 
• Brazil – rally to call on the Minister of Health and the President act on a law to limit working hours of all nursing professionals to 30 hours a week along with the launch of a national forum to press for improved working conditions for nursing professionals

Nurses and health workers in the Philippines, Ireland, also participated in the global day of action. Select photos from around the world:

South Korea

Honduras

Dominican Republic

South Africa

Australia

United States

Leading nurse and healthcare union organizations in 13 countries in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe are holding coordinated actions Tuesday, September 17 to escalate the call to stop the harmful effects of austerity measures, privatization, and cuts in health care services that they say are putting people and communities at risk, and call for safer nursing care. Many of the actions – including a major march in New York City that coincides with the opening of the United Nations General Assembly and the second anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement – will also call for a tax on financial speculation, also known as the Robin Hood tax, to raise hundreds of billions of dollars in needed revenue for a healthy economic recovery.

WHERE: New York City on Sept. 17 at 5pm at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (2nd Ave and 47th St).

Can’t make it to New York City?

Please join us online in one or more of the following ways:

1. Authorize a one-time Tweet or Facebook post about this event using Thunderclap!
   Thunderclap will automatically post the image above on your Facebook page.
2. Watch and share the LIVE STREAM VIDEO of these actions starting around 6:30pm EST on Tuesday, Sept. 17
3. Login and LIKE our Robin Hood Tax Facebook page and JOIN our event page.
4. Read and share the releases:

200 Organizations Urge Obama, Congress to Back the Robin Hood Tax on Wall Street

Nurses, Healthcare Workers in 13 Countries Call for Robin Hood Tax on Wall Street

Don’t know what to write about it?

Copy & paste these sample Tweets onto your Twitter pages:

• #Nurses around the world came together to create Global Nurses United – #S17 first #GlobalNurses day of action. http://ow.ly/oVzdJ
• US #nurses march in NYC on #S17 to demand a #RobinHoodTax to #TaxWallstreet. Part of #globalnurses day of action http://ow.ly/oCa4R #RHT
• Nurses know what patients need. #GlobalNurses across the globe stand up for patients on #S17 http://ow.ly/oCa4R #morenurses
• Austerity is failing. On #S17, #GlobalNurses send a message: Our patients & communities need more caring, not cuts. http://ow.ly/oVyex
• On #S17, #nurses around the world hold a global day of action. Follow here -> http://ow.ly/oVyex #globalnurses #morenurses
• #Nurses worldwide are holding #S17 marches, rallies, petitions to fight against austerity http://ow.ly/oVyex #globalnurses #morenurses
• We stand with #globalnurses on #S17 – global day of action! #S17 http://ow.ly/oCa4R #morenurses
• Or write your own tweets using any of these hashtags:  #S17, #RHT, #RobinHoodTax, #TaxWallStreet, #OWS
• Follow Robin Hood on Twitter: https://twitter.com/robinhoodtax

In solidarity for economic justice,

Thank you,

–Karen

Karen Higgins, RN
NNU Co-president

www.NationalNursesUnited.org

www.RobinHoodTax.org