NSW GOVERNMENT LIFTS WAGES AND RECOGNISES HEALTH WORKERS
The NSW Government has today announced a new public sector wages policy to provide increased pay for public sector employees including nurses, teachers and paramedics.
Member for Manly James Griffin MP said the new two-year policy will provide among the highest public sector wages growth in the country with employees offered a 3.0 per cent remuneration increase per annum in 2022-23 and 2023-24, with a possible further 0.5 per cent on offer in 2023-24 for employees that make a substantial contribution to productivity enhancing reforms.
“This provides for remuneration increases of up to 6.5 per cent over two years under the new policy”, Mr Griffin said. The policy will apply to new industrial agreements that are struck from 1 July 2022.
The NSW Government announced an additional one-off payment of $3,000 to be provided to employees in the NSW Health Service in recognition of their work on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The payment covers paramedics, midwives, cleaners and all other permanent staff employed by the NSW Health Service.
“The $3,000 one-off payment to health workers recognises the contribution of a workforce that went to extraordinary lengths during the pandemic”, Mr Griffin said.
“The new wages policy continues the NSW Government’s record of strengthening frontline services and ensuring that NSW can continue to deliver the best services in the country.”
Mr Griffin said that in the current economic climate, the increase in wages was a fair and sustainable policy decision.
“NSW is currently enjoying the lowest unemployment on record. To attract and retain the best talent, it is important to maintain competitive wages – and in the context of a strong and growing economy this two-year increase to wages is an affordable and sensible policy.”
The new wages policy has been developed to support productivity enhancing reforms and modernisation of the public service.
Additional pay increases are available for workplace reforms that deliver better outcomes for the public. Further details will be announced in the June State Budget.