SA reaches state-first allied health enterprise agreement

The SA Government and public sector allied health workers have reached a four-year enterprise agreement that the state government says mark SA’s first standalone enterprise agreement for allied health workers — in line with other jurisdictions across the country.

The ballot of employees for the Allied Health Professionals, Allied Health Assistants and Psychologists Enterprise Agreement closed on Sunday at 5pm. More than 70% of eligible employees took part in the ballot, the government said, with more than 80% endorsing the new agreement.

More than 8000 workers — including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, psychologists, radiation therapists, radiographers and medical imaging specialists, and social workers — across the public sector will be covered by the agreement, which follows months of good-faith negotiations between the government and worker representatives, including the Health Services Union.

Conditions under the agreement include:

• a wage rise above inflation with a total wage increase of 13.5%, made up of annual increases of 4%, 3.5%, 3.5% and 2.5% — with the first increase backdated to May 2025;
• easier access to an additional week of annual leave for workers who are rostered to work more than seven days;
• improved access to professional development allowances for allied health professionals;
• a new allowance to recognise the significant qualifications and experience of public sector psychologists;
• regional incentive payments to encourage workers to provide services outside the Adelaide metropolitan area; and
• improved access to paid parental leave.

“We have been able to land a fair deal that delivers real wage rises and improvements to conditions for workers, while being responsible with the budget so we can continue to invest in services for the South Australian community,” said Kyam Maher, South Australia’s Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector.

“The wage increase achieved under this agreement is more than double the wage rise the same group of workers received in the previous agreement negotiated between the former Liberal Government and public sector unions in 2021.”

This announcement comes as the SA Government continues good-faith negotiations for new enterprise agreements for doctors, nurses, ambulance workers and other public sector workers across the state.

For approval, the public sector allied health workers enterprise agreement will now be lodged with the South Australian Employment Tribunal.

Image credit: iStock.com/alvarez