NSW police officers have been offered a pay rise of up to 39% over four years by the NSW Government.
The Police Association of NSW said the new pay offer would see all non-commissioned officers receive increases of between 22.3% and 39.4% over that period.
“We are proud to have reached an agreement that recognises the difficult and dangerous work police do to keep us safe,” said Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism, Yasmin Catley.
“Officers risk their lives every day and absolutely deserve a pay rise which is why we have worked long and hard to put this offer on the table. NSW police will no longer be the worst paid in Australia, which is the shameful legacy of the former Liberal government.
“The offer is now being put to a vote of members and I hope they are satisfied with what the Government is offering.”
The reform was achieved under the Government’s mutual gains bargaining framework, which replaced the former Liberal-National Government’s wages cap that drove police wages backwards.
The 4-year offer is a $697.6 million investment in NSW Police, to be funded by reforms to police insurance, said Minister Catley.
Using the government’s mutual bargaining framework, the Police Association and the NSW Government have agreed to:
- 19% base pay increase to non-commissioned officers over four years, plus allowances, accelerated pay scales and allowances which will enhance this base pay rise;
- Consolidated pay scales – a Constable will be able to reach the top level of Senior Constable within nine years, six years faster than the current system;
- Consolidation of pay scales for Senior Constables, Sergeants and Inspectors to remove overlapping pay scales, incentivise retention and to accelerate progression for current serving officers;
- Updated and improved allowances;
- Moving to a full-time equivalent (FTE) model giving the NSWPF more flexibility to offer more part-time working arrangement;
- A one-off $5,400 Leadership Retention Payment to senior police officers who undertake a leadership and wellbeing training program focused on supporting and rehabilitating injured officers.
“This is a transformative, once-in-a-generation offer for NSW Police, made possible under Labor’s mutual gains bargaining policy,” said Treasurer, Daniel Mookhey.
“This agreement demonstrates we can deliver better services to the public that the budget can afford.
“It’s proof our bargaining framework can deliver meaningful payrises to the essential workers who are our partners on reform.
“We scrapped the wages cap and we’re getting pay moving for thousands of essential workers to help ease cost-of-living pressures,” he said.
