A landmark enterprise agreement has been reached between the Malinauskas Labor Government and public sector allied health workers, recognising the important work they do across the state's health system.
An overwhelming majority of allied health workers including psychologists, physiotherapists, radiographers and pharmacists, have voted to approve South Australia's first-ever standalone enterprise agreement for allied health workers.
The four-year agreement provides a range of conditions recognising the unique contribution of allied health workers and ensuring high-quality health services continue to be provided to the community. These include:
- A wage rise above inflation with a total wage increase of 13.5% – made up of annual increases of 4%, 3.5%, 3.5%, and 2.5% with the first increase backdated to May 2025
- Improved access to professional development allowances for allied health professionals
- A new allowance to recognise the significant qualifications and experience of public sector psychologists
- Regional incentive payments to encourage workers to provide services outside the Adelaide metropolitan area
- Improved access to paid parental leave
- Easier access to an additional week of annual leave for workers who are rostered to work over 7 days
The ballot of employees for the Allied Health Professionals, Allied Health Assistants and Psychologists Enterprise Agreement closed at 5pm Sunday, with more than 80 per cent endorsing the new agreement. More than 70 per cent of eligible employees took part in the ballot, a huge turnout.
This ballot follows months of good-faith negotiations between the Malinauskas Labor Government and worker representatives including the Health Services Union.
The agreement will cover more than 8,000 workers across the public sector including psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, radiographers and medical imaging specialists, podiatrists, radiation therapists, and social workers.
The agreement provides efficiency improvements for public health services, including the ability to implement rosters across every day of the week – recognising that hospitals operate 24/7 and need to be staffed to meet patient demand.
It will be the first time that allied health workers have had their own separate enterprise agreement in South Australia, in line with other jurisdictions across the country.
Now that the agreement has been endorsed by employees, it will be lodged with the South Australian Employment Tribunal for approval.
It comes as the State Government continues to negotiate in good faith new enterprise agreements for doctors, nurses, ambos and other public sector workers across the state.
As put by Kyam Maher
The Government is pleased to see the support of allied health workers for this new enterprise agreement after months of good-faith negotiations.
We have been able to land a fair deal that delivers real wage rises and improvements to conditions for workers, while being responsible with the budget so we can continue to invest in services for the South Australian community.
The wage increase achieved under this agreement is more than double the wage rise the same group of workers received in the previous agreement negotiated between the former Liberal Government and public sector unions in 2021.
As put by Chris Picton
This is a landmark agreement reached between the Malinauskas Labor Government and the state's allied health workers including psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, radiographers and medical imaging specialists, podiatrists, radiation therapists, and social workers, recognising the vital work they do across our public health system.
It's the first-ever standalone enterprise agreement for allied health workers in our state and shows the Government's commitment to valuing their unique and important roles.
We are proud to deliver this real wage rise and improved conditions for our valued workers who do so much to care for the South Australian community.
