NSW police officers have been offered a pay rise of up to 39.4% over the next four years by the State Government, which nurses and midwives strike across the state.
The Police Association of NSW (PANSW) said the offer includes new allowances and working benefits.
Police will vote this month on whether or not to accept the offer.
Meanwhile, NSW nurses have announced planned strike action for Wednesday after pay negotiations fell through last week. The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) has been calling on the State Government to agree to a 15% pay increase since May.
Police pay
The deal offered to NSW Police would see officers receive pay increases. This ranges from 22.3% to 39.4%, depending on their job, over a four-year period.
These increases would be back paid to 1 July 2024.
A $5,400 leadership retention payment will be included in the pay rise to encourage long-serving constables and sergeants to remain in the workforce. An allowance will also be paid to those in charge of training incoming police officers.
Police officers who currently rank in the ‘Leading Senior Constable’ pay grade will receive an additional $4,500 in the first year. This would be on top of the relevant pay increase.
In a video message, PANSW President Kevin Morton said this is the highest pay rise “achieved in the last 30 years for NSW Police.”
PANSW will open the vote to members on 18 November, “with a recommendation to vote yes,” Morton said.
Morton also said the offer “outstrips what we have seen accepted by other public sector agencies.”
Nurses and midwives
NSW nurses and midwives are preparing for a 24-hour strike on Wednesday, including rallies across metropolitan and regional parts of the state.
NSWNMA General Secretary Shaye Candish said: “The decision to give police more than double the offer for nurses, speaks volumes.”
The NSW Government is “leaving behind the state’s largest female-dominated workforce,” she said.
Further, the union said women make up 86% of nurses and midwives in the state.
The plan to strike was announced on 7 November. It comes after a four-week negotiation period between the union and the NSW Government.
Candish said “no progress on pay had been made” in this time.
The NSWNMA is calling on the NSW Government to provide a 15% wage increase backdated to 1 July 2024.
Nurses and midwives have been in negotiations with the Government since May this year.
