Wage boost on the way for low-paid workers as new agreement overwhelmingly approved

A new enterprise agreement for some of the state’s lowest paid workers will deliver significant cost of living support to those delivering vital public services.

The SA Public Sector Enterprise Agreement: Weekly Paid covers around 6,800 workers in a wide variety of roles across the public sector including aged care, disability services, early childhood educators, hospital orderlies and sterilisation technicians, catering and security services, and more.

A ballot of workers closed at 5pm Monday, with 94.2% of those voting supporting the new agreement.

A historically high 61% of employees covered by the agreement cast a vote.

This follows months of good faith between the Government and the United Workers Union (UWU).

Highlights of the offer include:

• Aged care, disability services, and Child Care Workers will receive immediate pay parity with their relevant Federal modern award.
• Other workers covered by the agreement will receive annual wage increases of 4% from 1 July 2025, 3.5% from 1 July 2026, and 3.5% from 1 July 2027 plus supplementary adjustment payments, recognising the historic undervaluation of this work.
• Penalty rates for ordinary hours of work on Sundays will increase to 200% for disability services workers, and 175% for all other workers.
• Disability services workers will receive a first aid allowance to recognise the first aid skills they maintain to support complex clients.
• Codifying entitlements to subsidised car parking and free public transport for health workers.
• Commitment to a review of current pay relativities prior to the negotiation of the next enterprise agreement.
  Now that the agreement has been endorsed by employees, it will be lodged with the South Australian Employment Tribunal for approval.

The latest agreement adds to the list of major enterprise agreements successfully negotiated in the past year, including allied health workers, doctors, police and SA Water staff.

Quotes

Attributable to Peter Malinauskas

The workers covered by this agreement provide vital services.

Our hospitals, aged care and childcare could not operate without them. Yet often their work goes unheralded.

They deserve a real wage wise, and this agreement will deliver it.

We are pleased this agreement has received such overwhelming endorsement.

Attributable to Kyam Maher

After months of good faith negotiations, I am proud that the State Government has been able to reach agreement with the United Workers Union which has now been endorsed by workers.

This agreement will deliver a significant cost of living boost for workers.

The workers covered under this agreement provide essential services to some of most vulnerable people in our community including disability support, early childhood education, aged care, along with the caterers, orderlies, and security staff that keep our hospitals running.

These workers deserve a real wage increase, and it is being delivered by this Labor Government.

Attributable to Chris Picton

Our hospitals couldn’t function without our fantastic orderlies, sterilisation technicians, catering and security services staff who are covered under this agreement.

They are vital to the smooth running of our health system – from changing bed sheets for the next patient, to providing meals to the thousands of South Australians who use our hospitals every day.

This agreement delivers them a fair pay rise and improved entitlements in recognition of their vital contributions.