NEW South Wales nurses have threatened to strike against WorkChoice-style laws being introduced by the O’Farrell Government.

At a protest outside Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney on Tuesday, about 100 nurses, doctors and allied health workers voiced their support for strike action, and condemned the industrial relations changes.

Tweed Heads branch of the New South Wales Nurses’ Association president Zoe Guinea said the members would vote on the decision to strike.

“We’ve got no plans to strike at this moment, but we’ll wait and see what happens,” Ms Guinea said.

“If the association is recommending we have some industrial relations and some industrial action around it we would certainly put it to our members.

“It’s like a return to WorkChoices.”

NSW Nurses’ Association general secretary Brett Holmes told the rally the changes would be “worse than WorkChoices” and the NSW government should brace for state-wide strikes.

“I have no doubt it will be the first of many rallies,” he said.

“This will be a Sydney rally and we will be calling for more regional rallies and asking our members how they feel about being betrayed by the O’Farrell government.”

Mr Holmes said although opposition to the wage changes had been strong, it was up to health workers now to take the fight to the government.

“(The decision to strike) will be in the hands of our members,” he said.

“Certainly next week we’ll be asking our metropolitan branches to send along as many as possible whilst maintaining the emergency services and skeleton staffing.”