School support staff and prison officers are among more than 80,000 New South Wales (NSW) public sector workers in line for an immediate four percent pay rise.
The state’s wages umpire signed off on the government’s deal with the Public Service Association for the pay bump and a 0.5 percent increase in superannuation.
Public sector wages had been capped at 2.5 percent under the previous coalition government.
Professions covered by the salary increase include prison officers, park rangers, school support staff, child protection workers, Rural Fire Service employees, State Emergency Service staff and Service NSW workers.
It’s the first major award finalised since Labor came to power in March promising wage increases.
“This is the biggest increase to public sector wages since 2003-04 and comes after years of campaigning and lobbying,” the Public Service Association said on July 21.
The union said its latest member survey found 80 percent of respondents agreed to accept the increase.
Negotiations with unions for nurses, teachers and other public servants are ongoing.
The public sector union previously campaigned for a wage increase of at least 5.2 percent for all public sector workers, with any increase to superannuation to be paid on top.
Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis said the pay rise would help address recruitment and retention in the public service.
“This will benefit the people that keep the state’s essential services like schools, prisons and national parks up and running,” Cotsis said.
“The people of NSW deserve world-class public services.”
The previous wages cap had been in place for 12 years and will be officially abolished on Sep. 1.
Also dead and obsolete, in the Opposition’s eyes, is Labor’s promise to ensure above-cap wage rises were fully offset by productivity gains.
“To say the wages cap is dead does not absolve Labor of that promise,” shadow treasurer Damien Tudehope said.
The higher wages offer would cost up to $3.3 billion (US$2.2 billion) over four years, his office said.
