The new enterprise agreement between the Malinauskas Labor Government and some of the state's lowest paid workers has now come into effect, after being approved by the South Australian Employment Tribunal.
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.
After months of good faith negotiations between the Government and United Workers Union, 94.2% of employees who took part in the ballot voted in support of the new agreement.
The agreement will deliver significant cost of living support to those delivering vital public services. Highlights of the agreement 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.
New pay rates under the agreement will commence within the next two weeks, and workers will receive payments of backpay in January 2026.
This enterprise agreement adds to the list of major negotiations successfully in the past year, including allied health workers, doctors, police and SA Water staff.
The Government has also recently reached in-principle agreement with the United Firefighters Union and the Ambulance Employee Association, with these offers to be put to a vote of relevant workers.
As put by Kyam Maher
The workers covered under the Weekly Paid Agreement provide essential services to some of most vulnerable people in our community including disability support, early childhood education, aged care, as well as the caterers, orderlies, and security staff that keep our hospitals running.
When we started these negotiations, we made clear that these workers deserved a real wage increase and we have delivered it.
The Government thanks United Workers Union and its leadership for negotiating in good faith to deliver a new agreement for its members.
