More than 60,000 healthcare and hospital employees in New South Wales will see their salaries increase by at least $10,000 over the next four years, following a landmark agreement brokered by the Health Services Union NSW. The deal, backed unanimously by the union’s Branch Committee of Management, will deliver staged annual rises until 2027.
The agreement covers a wide range of workers — from allied health professionals to cleaners, ward staff, and pharmacy assistants — many of whom have been described as “often overlooked” in the sector. According to HSU NSW, the move goes beyond the state government’s standard wage policy, delivering tangible gains in both pay and working conditions.
Broad Salary Increases Across the Sector
The arrangement will see significant financial gains for workers in diverse roles. According to the union, a hospital assistant currently earning around $52,000 annually will receive a $10,000 rise, bringing their salary to $62,000 by 2027. Similarly, a wards person will see their pay increase by $10,400, and a security officer by $10,500 over the same period.
The pay rise is structured as a four per cent increase in the first year of the two-year deal, followed by another four per cent in the second year. This will be accompanied by a 0.5 per cent superannuation boost. Notably, the agreement surpasses the NSW Government’s standard three per cent wage offer and includes back-pay to 1 July.
In addition to the salary component, the deal introduces workplace changes. Staff will be entitled to two consecutive days off, protections against last-minute roster changes without consultation, and a ban on assigning night shifts directly before annual leave unless specifically requested. Night shift loadings will also increase to 20 per cent.
Recognition of Undervalued Roles and Gender Equity
HSU NSW secretary Gerard Hayes highlighted the breadth of the agreement, stating it benefits everyone “From the audiologists who help restore hearing, to the cleaners who maintain infection control, to the patient transport staff who provide dignity and care.” According to Hayes, the pay rise represents “real money that makes a real difference to working families.”
The NSW Minns Government has acknowledged broader issues of pay inequity within the health sector, particularly the gendered undervaluation of certain roles. In May, legislative changes were introduced to strengthen gender equity objectives under the Industrial Relations Act, requiring the Industrial Relations Commission to consider gender inequality in its decisions. This comes just days after the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association received a smaller 3.5 per cent offer from the government.
