Cleaners, security guards and administration staff at health facilities across the Hunter and New England walked off the job on Thursday to demand safer work places.
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About 150 Health Services Union members at John Hunter Hospital walked off the job for four hours leaving only a skeleton staff to run the hospital.
They were among 3000 members who took action across the region as part of the statewide day of action.
"They are sick of being treated as punching bags," HSU Hunter organiser Michael Kearns said.
"This action is to improve their safety but also that of the general public."
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HSU NSW Secretary Gerard Hayes said members had taken precautions to prevent any impact on public health.
"Fundamentally, this strike is about improving public safety and restoring confidence in the security of our hospitals.
"In the last three years, hospital workers have been stabbed, shot, punched, bitten and abused. Hospital workers are sick of being treated as punching bags."
Mr Hayes said there have been more than 40 assaults in NSW hospitals each month.
"Our strike is an unfortunate but necessary last resort. We have argued, lobbied and advocated for change for years, but our pleas continue to fall on deaf ears," he said.
"We are living through a hospital security crisis. Yet the Ministry of Health refuses to take anything more than baby steps."
A NSW Health spokesman said it remained committed to addressing security issues with its workforce and ensuring that hospitals were safe and welcoming places for staff, patients and visitors.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he shared the union's concerns about violence but would await the final recommendations of a government review before implementing further measures.
An interim report about hospital security led by former Labor health minister Peter Anderson was released in February and found there was a "disturbing" amount of violence and aggression towards hospital staff in NSW.
A final report is due in the final quarter of 2019.
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