The Northern Rivers Times
December 21, 2023
2 NEWS
Northern Rivers Paramedics to benefit from landmark pay negotiations relentless campaigning
The government
by the Ambulance
scrambled to come to
Northern Rivers
Division of the Health
the table with an offer
Paramedics and their
Services Union (HSU)
that would put NSW
colleagues throughout
to give paramedics
paramedics’ pay on par
the state have walked
professional rates of pay.
with their Queensland
away from a pay
Prior to the pay deal
colleagues.
dispute with the NSW
being struck, NSW
If the government
Government far better
Paramedics were
didn’t come through, it
off.
currently the lowest paid
would have potentially
Last Wednesday, the
in the country.
resulted in a breakdown
state government reached
HSU NSW Secretary
of emergency care
an agreement with the
Gerard Hayes said
services, including right
Health Services Union
paramedics had fought
before the new Tweed
(HSU) on a record pay
tirelessly and bravely for
Valley Hospital is due to
increase for paramedics.
professional recognition
open.
Almost, 5000
and salary justice.
Tweed MP Geoff
paramedics will receive
“Our paramedics
Provest has supported
an average wage increase
are highly skilled
local paramedics and
of 25 per cent over four
professionals who
union representatives
years - with increases
exercise fine clinical
in their quest for
ranging from 11 to 29
judgement under
increased remuneration
per cent - depending on
incredible stress,” Mr
and professional
the paramedics’ level of
Hayes said.
development
experience.
“Their work saves lives
opportunities.
The pay increase will
- finally they will be paid
“I stood with our
bring the base salary of a
for it.
paramedics earlier this
year six paramedics from
“We cannot forget that
year and signed their
$79,737 to $88,082 on
the exodus of paramedics
July 1 next year.
to Queensland happened
Further increases mean
under the previous
that by July 2026, a year
government’s 12-year
six paramedic will have a
long wage cap,” he said.
base salary of $103,361,
Mr Hayes said despite
while the base pay of
sometimes having a
critical care paramedics
‘tense relationship’ with
will increase from
the current government,
$98,390 to $127,261.
he recognised and
The base pay of a
appreciate the large task
specialist year three
it had in rebuilding the
paramedic increases
health workforce.
from $90,711 to
In a statement, the
$117,328.
NSW Government said
The agreement
the pay increase will
followed two years of
deliver professional
By Sarah Waters
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Tweed MP Geoff Provest with Northern Rivers paramedics and union representatives who, along with their state colleagues, were some of the lowest paid paramedics in the country. Now they will be among the highest paid.
recognition and remuneration to reflect the move towards university qualification of paramedics. “From the very beginning, this government wanted to deliver professional pay and recognition for paramedics, recognising their special case. “This follows 12 years of wage suppression and a difficult fiscal
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position left over by the former Liberal National government. “In delivering professional rates, our first priority is to retain our existing paramedics while still delivering critical increases in paramedic numbers where they are needed most.” The four-year agreement will cost $500 million, which the Cooking Wine Health/Seniors Gardening Funerals
government said will be partially funded from the Essential Services Fund and savings from the Health portfolio, including through savings associated with recruitment challenges. If an agreement was not reached, thousands of union members were willing to let their paramedic registrations lapse from 1 January next year. 42 43 44 46 47
petition for better pay rates and I’ll happily stand with them now,” Mr Provest said. “This shouldn’t be political, but the Labor Government committed to better pay rates should they win the 2023 election - they won - and now they must honour their commitment. “I strongly support our paramedics in their physically and emotionally demanding roles,” he said.
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