Nurses and midwives across NSW have started receiving backpay payments, following their largest pay increase in decades.
This landmark pay increase for nurses and midwives is a result of the Minns Labor Government rebuilding the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) and scrapping the former governments wages cap.
The IRC ruling in April delivered nurses and midwives an historic pay rise of between 16 and 28 per cent over a period of three years.
These backdated payments have commenced and will be backdated to 1 July 2025. The payments are being delivered progressively in upcoming pay cycles and are expected to be completed by 1 June 2026.
Under the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award 2025; and the Crown Employees Nurses’ (State) Award 2025:
- Registered nurses and midwives will receive a 16 per cent pay increase, with 10 per cent awarded in the first year, and 3 per cent in each of the two years following
- Enrolled nurses will receive an 18 per cent pay increase, with 12 per cent awarded in the first year, and 3 per cent in each of the two years following
- Assistants in nursing will receive a 28 per cent pay increase, with 22 per cent awarded in the first year, and 3 per cent in each of the two years following.
Of first year payments, nurses and midwives have already received a 3 per cent pay rise in an interim agreement last year, which also included an increase to night shift penalties and better conditions for work-life balance.
Labor was elected with a mandate to scrap the Liberals and Nationals’ unfair wages cap and restore the independent adjudicator. Since then, we have worked closely with workers and unions to rebuild the industrial relations system, putting fairness back at the centre of workers’ pay.
The Minns Labor Government has made significant investments in our nurses and midwives so they can continue delivering exceptional care to patients and their families when they need it most. This includes:
- Rolling out Safe Staffing Levels in emergency department, with over 900 nurses already recruited;
- Expanding the rollout of Safe Staffing into general medical, surgical and specialty wards, such as neurology, respiratory, cardiology and oncology/haematology.
- Abolishing the wages cap and delivering the largest pay increase for nurses in more than two decades;
- Hiring more than 5,000 nurses, who are working in hospitals right now;
- Saving the jobs of 1,100 nurses the Liberals and Nationals would have axed;
- Supporting our future health workforce with study subsidies;
- Helping attract and retain the essential workers NSW needs.
Quotes attributable to Health Minister Ryan Park:
“Nurses and midwives are the largest workforce group in NSW Health, and this historic outcome recognises the extraordinary work they do every single day.
“This means thousands of hardworking NSW nurses and midwives will soon see well-deserved backpay in their pay packets.
“Not only are we delivering a generational pay increase, but we are also working closely with the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association to rollout safe staffing ratios for nurses and midwives in hospitals across the state.
“This is in stark contrast to the former Coalition government, who refused to implement safe staffing ratios and held nurses and midwives wages back for a decade with their destructive wages cap.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis
“After 12 years of the former Coalition’s wages freeze, we promised to rebuild the state’s essential services and reform the industrial relations system which resulted in this historic pay increase.
“In addition to rebuilding the Industrial Relations Commission, we changed the law so that gender equity must be considered when determining pay and conditions.
“90% of our nurses and midwives are women who work at the heart of our health system, and this well-deserved backpay will deliver some relief in these tough economic times.”