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.

Geoff Provest, Member for Tweed, 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.

“The policy will apply to new industrial agreements that are struck from 1 July 2022 and provides for remuneration increases of up to 6.5 per cent over two years”, Mr Provest said.

There will also be an additional one-off payment of $3,000 made to employees in the NSW Health Service in recognition of their work on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be paid to paramedics, nurses, midwives, cleaners and all other permanent staff employed by the NSW Health Service.

“This payment to health workers recognises the contribution of a workforce that went to extraordinary lengths during the pandemic”, Mr Provest said. 

“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.”

Further details will be announced in the State Budget to be handed down on 21 June.