Thousands of NSW health workers strike again, and everything else women are talking about tonight.

Thousands of NSW health workers have ramped up pressure on the state government by walking off the job today as they demanded recognition for fronting up to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the state's wages cap, public sector pay increases cannot exceed 2.5 per cent but the Health Services Union maintains this is not enough as inflation runs at 3.5 per cent. The union is campaigning for a 5.5 per cent increase "to account for the impact of the pandemic and the surging cost of living".

Hundreds of ambulance staff, security guards, cleaners, paramedics and other hospital workers packed Trades Hall in central Sydney today.

"The government knows the cost of living is skyrocketing," Nepean Hospital chief radiographer Andrew Teece told the crowd waving placards and flags. "This government bluntly refuses a pay increase ... to meet our household bills. We want better pay to support ourselves and our families."

The strike is designed to put pressure on the government before a conciliation hearing at the Industrial Relations Commission next week. The planned industrial action included stopping work for four hours at major metropolitan hospitals and two hours at regional hospitals.

Lui Bilal, a 48-year-old security guard at Westmead Hospital, said the increase would recognise the work of an underpaid labour force. "We are already underpaid and management is pushing us to do more work with not enough staff," he told AAP.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the government has done enough to assuage the financial strains facing health workers.

"The NSW government has led the way when it comes to wage increases across the country and this has been lost in the debate. A 2.5 per cent pay increase annually over this period of time has far exceeded private sector wage growth."

But health workers said they have not been rewarded financially for their efforts as frontline staff at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Westmead Hospital cleaner Leah Hampton said she was finding it hard to make ends meet.

"Most of us are doing double and triple the work originally assigned to us and we don't get paid overtime or extra compensation for it," she told AAP. "I can't afford buying meat anymore to feed my three teenagers and a toddler with prices going up."

- With AAP.

Thousands walked off the job today. Health workers and @HSUNSW members across NSW made the tough decision to strike.

They are campaigning for wage justice after 2 of the toughest working years of their life.

It's the least @Dom_Perrottet can do for the heroes of the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/A3p6BvrlkZ

— Unions NSW (@unionsnsw) April 7, 2022

"We need meaningful action on pay."

NSW health workers will strike in support of calls for a 5.5 per cent pay rise "to account for the impact of the pandemic and the surging cost of living".

Story via @FaridYFarid: https://t.co/yRP90qwkXI#NSWPol #CovidNSW

— Australian Associated Press (AAP) (@AAPNewswire) April 6, 2022

Former ambulance paramedic turned author, Patrick Kennedy, has released figures revealing a 53 per cent increase in the number of children being killed in Australian driveways in the past decade.

The figures, gathered by the Georgina Josephine Foundation, show that in the 10 years to 2020, 101 children were killed nationally compared with 66 in the 10 years to 2010.

"Apart from the fatalities, nearly 1000 children are being seriously injured in low-speed vehicle run-overs in their driveways and elsewhere each decade," Mr Kennedy said.

While deaths are able to be tracked, injuries are not. As a result, if deaths have risen by 53 per cent, injuries have presumably risen by a similar amount. In the previous decade, the number injured was 600. The figure is now likely to be about 920.

In April 2011 Peter Cockburn ran over his 15-month-old daughter, Georgina Josephine, while reversing into his garage. Since her death, he has been on a crusade to inform parents and grandparents of the risks to young children around driveways and garages. Cockburn is now a co-founder of the Georgina Josephine Foundation, which helps families who have been affected by driveway accidents.

- With AAP.

Multiple flood evacuation orders were issued across NSW today as torrential rain continues and a risk of major flooding develops in multiple areas.

Residents in parts of Chipping Norton and Camden in Sydney's southwest have been ordered to leave due to rising waters this afternoon. The alerts came after people in parts of Woronora and Bonnet Bay in the city's south were told to evacuate in the morning.

Warnings for possible evacuations are also in place for Stuarts Point on the mid-north coast, and Stonequarry Creek, Picton and Camden in southwestern Sydney. Major flooding is expected on the Nepean River, with Menangle and Wallacia also expected to be affected in coming days. Water is spilling at Warragamba Dam, which was already at capacity before the rain began.

Authorities have also issued a severe weather warning for southern and central NSW, metropolitan Sydney, the Illawarra, the South Coast, the Central and Southern Tablelands, and parts of the Hunter.

"There is also the significant risk of continued flash flooding in the Greater Sydney, Upper Hunter, Illawarra and South Coast areas from today and into the weekend," Bureau of Meteorology senior hydrologist Ailsa Schofield said. "So I'm really urging residents to stay up to date with the local weather and warning information and stay safe."

The SES has responded to almost 700 requests for assistance and conducted 25 rescues, the majority for people caught out by flash flooding.

The rain is expected to ease on Friday but the flood risk will remain throughout the week.

- With AAP.

The road to Dapto, a suburb of Wollongong in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, is closed due to flooding. Australia #flood #flooding #floods #HeavyRains #tormenta #rainfall #alluvione #lluvias #lluvia #chuvas #aluvión #banjir #enchete #inundaciones #weather pic.twitter.com/McDrXDlRiE

— NEWS/INCIDENTS (@Brave_spirit81) April 7, 2022

Dams across NSW have reached 100 per cent capacity, as dams and reservoirs in #Prospect, #Wingecarribee, #FitzroyFalls and the #BlueMountains edge closer to full capacity.

It comes amid evacuation orders and flood warnings for parts of NSW. #9News

MORE: https://t.co/4cIvgTkwdX pic.twitter.com/LA9QqtvQrN

— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) April 7, 2022

Dee Why this morning #nswrain pic.twitter.com/zIR6oOqETn

— Dale Drinkwater (@DaleDrinkwater) April 6, 2022

In a twist that everyone saw coming, it turns out that Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker did not get married after the Grammys. But that doesn’t mean that some parts of their wild Vegas wedding story aren't true.

And just when you thought Serena Williams couldn’t get any more impressive, she’s penned a beautiful personal essay for ELLE Magazine titled, 'How Serena Williams Saved Her Own Life'. Her words will help women everywhere.

Plus, in the early 2000s, there was no 'It Girl' who could hold a candle to the publicity around Sienna Miller. Then, a high-profile cheating scandal with her movie star fiancé Jude Law took over her career, and her name was mercilessly dragged through the tabloids. Now, thanks to a new Netflix role that taps into that pain, her story needs to be told from a new angle. 

Listen to The Spill now!

Hello everyone! 

After a long period of more serious stories out of Hollywood, you don't know how much I enjoyed the news of Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker having a classic Las Vegas chapel wedding after this week's Grammy Awards.

I don't even care about them, per se, but it felt like a return to the lighter celeb stories of old and I was here. for. it.

My colleague Adrienne has put together a very fun, very nostalgic explainer about the return of whirlwind celebrity romance and it's well worth a read. 

I can't believe I'd forgotten about Dennis Rodman and actress Carmen Electra's nine-day marriage! 

Reminisce for yourself here: Las Vegas weddings, tattoos and blood drinking: The return of the whirlwind celebrity romance.

Morning, 

We've continued to hear tragedies coming out of Ukraine this week. But amongst reports of war crimes and talk of sanctions, it's easy to lose focus of the individual, human cost of the invasion.

My colleague and News Editor Gemma Bath has shared three stories that illustrate the true horror of what's happening in the country right now and the names we can not forget. 

As the war continues, here are the top five news stories you need to know this morning, including the rising civilian death toll.

1. PM heckled at a NSW pub, as Michael Towke shares damning text message.

With an election to be called within days, Scott Morrison's luck on the campaign trail continues to be down. 

During a pre-election visit to a tavern in the NSW Hunter region on Wednesday night, Scott Morrison was accosted by a pensioner in front of a huge pack of media. 

"This is what you said when you got elected last time, 'we're going to help all those people that worked all their lives, paid their taxes...and those that have a go, will get a go. Well, I've had a go, mate, I've worked all my life and paid my taxes,'" he told the PM. 

Scott Morrison has squeezed in a last-minute visit to a tavern at Lake Macquarie in New South Wales.

But it seems he didn't pass the pub test for one man. #9News pic.twitter.com/q9LVlnbz1O

— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) April 6, 2022

Another video from the pub shows a woman appearing to line up to take a selfie with Morrison before she tells him, “Congratulations on being the worst prime minister we’ve ever had.”

Meanwhile, Michael Towke, who Prime Minister Scott Morrison has denied racially profiling during a preselection battle in 2007, has given his first major interview since the story resurfaced. 

Speaking on The Project last night, Towke said Morrison was at the heart of a smear campaign against him, and members of the Liberal Party pressured him to withdraw from the pre-selection, threatening to "ruin him" and his employability if he didn't. 

"At the time (Morrison) was desperate and it suited him to play the race card," he said. 

"I don't like saying he is a racist, I don't know him well enough. But he has certainly used racism, Islamophobia, bigotry, with refugees ... with migration policies, and he's been dumped on by his own side."

Towke shared a current cabinet minister recently sent him a text message of support.

"I've got text messages from a cabinet minister telling me 'I believe you and do what you need to do, just be careful'," he said.

PART 1/3: In an exclusive interview with Waleed Aly, former Liberal Michael Towke speaks for the first time since he accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison of racism in a pre-selection battle 15 years ago.#TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/inZjsPgCaE

— The Project (@theprojecttv) April 6, 2022

Towke, who has rejected the idea of entering politics again, also claims he did not know the preselection story would be aired in parliament by outgoing Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells on budget night.

2. UK dad killed in Blue Mountains landslide identified.

A British father who died alongside his nine-year-old son in a landslide in the NSW Blue Mountains has been identified as lawyer Mehraab Nazir.

Nazir, 49, was walking at Wentworth Pass near Wentworth Falls with his wife, 50, his 15-year-old daughter and two sons aged nine and 14 when a landslide struck on Monday.

Nazir and his son's body were recovered on Tuesday.

Mehraab Nazir was bushwalking with his family in the Blue Mountains when the path suddenly gave way. #7NEWS https://t.co/WybvpXfz5h

— 7NEWS Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) April 6, 2022

The 49-year-old was a partner at law firm Watson Farley & Williams and was based in its Singapore office.

"It is with the greatest sadness that we must confirm that our dear friend and colleague Mehraab Nazir, a partner in our Singapore office, tragically lost his life in a landslide in Australia earlier this week alongside his young son," the company said in a statement.

Nazir's wife remains in a critical condition in an intensive care unit in a Sydney hospital, while their 14-year-old son has undergone surgery and is in a stable condition.

Their 15-year-old daughter walked from the scene and remains under observation in hospital.

3. Over 5,000 civilians dead in Ukrainian city.

The mayor of the besieged Ukranian port city of Mariupol says more than 5,000 civilians, including 210 children, have lost their lives during Russia's invasion. 

Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said Russian forces bombed hospitals, including one where 50 people burned to death.

The numbers were given yesterday as Ukraine collected evidence of Russian atrocities on the outskirts of Kyiv and braced for what could become a climactic battle for control of the country's industrial east.

#Ukraine Almost 50 people were burned alive in the Mariupol hospital. The mayor Vadim Boychenko said that Russian troops destroyed more than 90% of the city's infrastructure. At least 5000 people have been killed during the first month of the occupation pic.twitter.com/j9mlVzvPA7

— Hanna Liubakova (@HannaLiubakova) April 6, 2022

British defence officials said 160,000 people remained trapped in the city, which had a pre-war population of 430,000. 

A humanitarian-relief convoy accompanied by the Red Cross has been trying without success to get into the city since Friday.

4. One in five young women 'feel less safe', report finds.

One in five young Australian women feel less safe alone at night than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, a new survey has found. 

The Plan International Australia report, released today, found only five percent of women aged between 18 and 24 felt safer in places like streets, train stations and parks. 

Conversely, almost 20 percent reported they felt less safe after dark in public environments, and for young women with a disability, more than one in four said they felt less safe.

"COVID-19 closed borders, it ground entire industries to a halt and caused restaurants and retailers to shut their doors, but it didn't stop street harassment," Plan International Australia chief executive Susanne Legena said. 

"All of these findings prove that as we begin to emerge from the pandemic, the world is still off track when it comes to gender equality and the safety of women and girls."

One in five young women feel more unsafe in public since pandemic began https://t.co/YYllNYw5zY

— ABC News (@abcnews) April 6, 2022

The Plan International Australia survey of 500 women, conducted by YouGov, has been released during International Anti-Street Harassment Week.

5. Kitching's Senate replacement confirmed as Indigenous woman and former bureaucrat. 

Jana Stewart, an Indigenous woman and former bureaucrat has been announced as the replacement for late Labor senator Kimberley Kitching.

Stewart, who ran against federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in his Melbourne seat of Kooyong in 2019, was confirmed as Kitching's replacement in a joint sitting of Victorian parliament last night. 

The Mutthi Mutthi and Wamba Wamba woman is Labor’s first Victorian Aboriginal senator and previously worked as the deputy secretary of Victoria's Department of Justice. 

She is filling a vacancy left by Kitching after she died from a suspected heart attack last month at the age of 52.

At 6:00pm tonight, I was sworn in by the Vic Parl as a Federal Senator, I was honoured to be joined by family, friends, & Labor colleagues. I can't wait to get to work fighting for a better future for all Australians. #auspol #springst pic.twitter.com/WFnMYUeKOl

— Jana Stewart (@Jana_Stewart_) April 6, 2022

That's it, you're all caught up. We'll bring you more of the top news stories throughout the day. 

- With AAP. 

Thankfully there are now a lot of resources and information about menopause for women and their families, but sadly the same can't be said about perimenopause, even though this phase of our lives can last for several years.

The Quicky speaks to two experts, and a woman whose own isolating experience of perimenopause led her to start a business.

If you want more expert advice, from the people who really know perimenopause, you can join Mamamia’s Very Peri Summit.

READ: 

• What women were talking about on Wednesday
• What women were talking about on Tuesday
• What women were talking about on Monday
  

Feature Image: Twitter @HSUNSW / @unionsnsw.