A significant pay boost for MFS firefighters is on the way, along with improvements to training and health screening, after firefighters voted overwhelmingly in favour of the State Government's latest enterprise agreement offer.
The ballot of all firefighters closed this week, with 88.5% of those who cast a ballot voting in support of the new agreement.
It comes after months of good faith negotiations between the United Firefighters Union of South Australia (UFUSA) and the State Government.
The agreement includes:
- A total wage increase of 10.5% including 4% in January 2026, 3.5% in January 2027, and 3% in January 2028.
- A $3,000 uplift to base wages of all employees to be covered by the agreement to reflect rescue qualifications and advanced skills.
- Increasing the base wages of recruit firefighters.
- The creation of new increments for Station Officers, Marine Officers, Communications Officers and Commanders to provide further opportunities for career progression.
The agreement also has a focus on health and training. As part of the agreement the MFS will employ additional staff to develop and deliver training to firefighters, with the State Government also committing to a broader review of training arrangements to occur during the life of the enterprise agreement.
As part of the agreement, the MFS will provide medical support and screening and monitoring services for all employees covered by the agreement.
This is in addition to legislation recently passed by the Parliament which will provide greater workers compensation protection for MFS firefighters and CFS volunteers diagnosed with firefighting-related cancers, with an expansion of the list of cancers to now include:
- Primary site cervical cancer
- Primary site uterine cancer
- Primary site ovarian cancer
- Primary site penile cancer
- Primary site thyroid cancer
- Primary site liver cancer
- Malignant mesothelioma
- A reduction in the qualification period for primary site oesophageal cancer from 25 years to 15 years.
The endorsed agreement will be lodged with the South Australian Employment Tribunal for approval in the coming weeks.
This enterprise agreement is the latest of many successfully negotiated in recent months including allied health workers, doctors, aged care, disability services, early childhood educators, hospital orderlies and sterilisation technicians.
As put by Kyam Maher
Firefighters regularly put their lives on the line to protect the community, whether it's battling house fires or devastating bushfires, and they deserve our support and recognition of this crucial work.
The Malinauskas Labor Government has made it clear we are committed to seeing real wage increases, and that's exactly what we're delivering for firefighters.
This agreement will see better pay for our firefighters, as well as improvements to training and health screening.
The State Government is thankful to the leadership of the United Firefighters Union and its members for constructive negotiations over recent months.
As put by Rhiannon Pearce
While this agreement delivers real pay increases, it also provides for additional training including funding for more trainers which ensures our firefighters have the skills they need to respond to emergencies.
I'm also pleased there will be more screening and health services for firefighters in recognition of the dangers they face while protecting our communities.
I want to thank the UFU and its members for negotiating in good faith throughout this process and I'm pleased it was supported so emphatically.
As put by Peter Russell, Acting Secretary of the United Firefighters Union of South Australia
UFUSA members have overwhelmingly voted to endorse the enterprise agreement offer put to them by the South Australian Government as negotiated by the UFUSA.
The Agreement provides meaningful recognition of the increased complexity of Firefighting in a modern environment with wage rises that recognise the need to value that work.
The health monitoring program contained in the Agreement is a critically important step to attempt to detect early the cancers that
Firefighters are substantially more likely to contract than the general population, which we hope will save lives of the people who put themselves at risk to serve the community.
