After years of wage restraint, more than 60,000 staff to benefit from pay increases and better conditions.
More than 90% of Health Services Union members have backed a new pay and conditions deal with the NSW Government, ending years of wage restraint.
The agreement delivers an 8.5% pay increase over two years, alongside significant workplace reforms aimed at improving conditions for health professionals.
Backdated to 1 July 2025, more than 60,000 public health workers will receive a 4% wage rise plus a 0.5% superannuation increase, with a further 4% increase starting from 1 July 2026.
The agreement applies to a broad range of NSW Health staff covered by HSU awards, including allied health workers, hospital cleaners, laboratory scientists, security officers, and patient transport officers.
In addition to pay increases, the deal introduces a suite of improved employment conditions, including:
- Higher duties allowance payable after three days (down from five days).
- Increased rest breaks of 10 hours between rostered shifts (up from 8 hours).
- Extended roster change notice periods of four weeks (up from two weeks).
The reforms align with the NSW government’s new Fair Pay and Bargaining Policy and will also see the consolidation and modernisation of more than 50 industrial awards across NSW Health.
State health minister Ryan Park welcomed the union members’ overwhelming support for the deal.
“We have worked closely and constructively with the Health Services Union to deliver on this significant agreement. I want to thank Gerard Hayes and his team for their constant and outcomes-focused engagement,” he said.
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“We’re paying health workers more, and we’re going to recruit more and retain more.
“More health staff, lower wait times, better health outcomes – it’s as simple as that.”
Mr Hayes, Health Services Union NSW secretary told Health Services Daily around 93% or members had endorsed the government’s offer.
“These figures don’t really happen very often,” he said.
But he said the fight to improve pay and conditions for workers was far from over.
“Over the next three month we will continue with award reform that’s been going on in the IRC [Industrial Relations Commission of NSW] for two years,” he said.
“This is a very good downpayment in recognition of a lot of good work that’s being done.”