The largest pay increase in more than two decades for nurses and midwives has started being rolled out.
The first lot of backpay has started to land in nurses’ pockets after the Minns Labor government delivered the biggest pay rise in two decades, State Member for Blue Mountains Trish Doyle said of the historic moment.
“We scrapped the unfair wages cap, are rolling out safe staffing, meaning more nurses are there to treat you in hospital, and saved the 1,112 nurses the Opposition planned to sack,” Ms Doyle said.
“In addition, we have given subsidies to about 8000 health care students NSW-wide, to help them complete their course.
“I am incredibly appreciative of the amazing job all our nurses and midwives do in difficult conditions. They are our frontline workforce, and we need to look after them,” Ms Doyle added.
Health Minister Ryan Park told NSW Parliament on May 26 that nurses and midwives would begin “getting a record back pay into their accounts, boosting their salaries as a part of the record wage offer”.
“Nurses essentially asked for three things leading into the last election, an increase in pay, they’ve got it, an increase in the overall number of nurses, that has been a massive increase, and the rollout of ratios,” Minister Park said.
Backdated to July 2025, the pay rise will comprise an increase of between 10 and 22 per cent. This will be followed by a 3 per cent increase from July 2026 and a further 3 per cent from July 2027.
Under the Liberals an 8th year registered nurse was paid $94,000, under Labor’s deal they will be paid $118,000 - an extra $24,000 a year and previously a fifth-year enrolled nurse was paid $65,000 but after the pay increase is complete, this will jump to $83,000.
The decision follows a ruling from the independent industrial umpire on April 16.
Minister Park said: “This historic pay increase would not have been possible without the hard work undertaken between the Minns Labor government and the union movement.
“Together, with the Nurses and Midwives Association, we have worked to recruit 1,200 nurses to roll out staff to patient ratios, saved 1,112 nurses that the Coalition planned to axe, and we will deliver one of the most significant pay increases for nurses and midwives in a generation.”
Ms Doyle said the “safe staffing levels in particular are a game changer for health and support our nurses and midwives and the patients in their care”.
MEDIA: Brenda Cunningham-Lewis | Trish Doyle MP (02) 4751 3298, [email protected]
Daryl Tan | Minister Park | 0422 028 222
