FAfter a protracted wage dispute, the NSW government will offer paramedics a record pay boost of 25% on average over the course of four years.
Following confirmation of the award by the Industrial Relations Commission, 5000 paramedics would earn a rise ranging from 11% to 29% under the terms of the recently signed agreement between the government and the Health Services Union (HSU).
It follows several strikes by HSU students this year and weeks of hard discussions.
It has also been avoided that there would have been a boycott of professional registrations, which would have kept thousands of paramedics from going to work on New Year’s Day.
“Part of the five-year, $500 million deal will come from savings and the Essential Services Fund.”
“The four-year, half-a-billion-dollar agreement will be partially funded from the Essential Services Fund and savings from the health portfolio, including through savings associated with recruitment challenges,” the joint statement from Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis, Health Minister Ryan Park, and Treasurer Daniel Mookhey stated.
“In delivering professional rates, our first priority is to retain our existing paramedics while still delivering critical increases in paramedic numbers where they are needed most.”
It implies that paramedics will become among of the top paid in the nation from some of the lowest paid.
According to the HSU, the base pay of critical care paramedics will increase from $98,390 to $127,261 while the base pay of a specialist year three paramedic will increase from $90,711 to $117,328.
HSU NSW secretary Gerard Hayes welcomed the agreement.
“Our paramedics are highly skilled professionals who exercise fine clinical judgement under incredible stress,” he said.
“Their work saves lives. Finally they will be paid for it.” The pay rises will be phased in from January 1 until July 2026.
The basic compensation of a specialist year three paramedic will rise from $90,711 to $117,328, while the base pay of critical care paramedics would climb from $98,390 to $127,261, per the HSU.
Gerard Hayes, secretary of HSU NSW, praised the accord.
“Our paramedics are highly skilled professionals who exercise fine clinical judgement under incredible stress,” he stated.
“Their labours prevent deaths. At last, they will receive payment for it.” Phase-in salary increases will begin on January 1 and continue until July 2026.
