A “generational” pay increase of up to 40 per cent is set to make NSW police the best paid in the nation as the force battles crippling officer shortages.
More than 10,000 constables, senior constables and sergeants will receive increases of at least 25 per cent before shift allowances while pay scales have been simplified.
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It means the salary for a level-three senior constable will jump from $107,600 to $146,600 by mid-2027.
The four-year deal, which includes back pay to July 1, is in line with what the union had demanded and officials have asked members to accept the government’s offer.
“We set the bar high and for good reason,” Police Association of NSW president Kevin Morton told members on Monday.
“For the vast majority of members, this is a generational change to your award.
“This offer will see the highest pay increases achieved in the last 30 years for NSW Police (and) outstrips what we have seen accepted by other public-sector agencies.”
The offer introduces a $5400 leadership retention payments for senior officers and allowances for training first-year officers.
Commissioned officers — such as inspectors and superintendents — will receive increases of between 20 and 27 per cent, inclusive of the retention payment.
The government was proud to have reached an offer that recognised “the difficult and dangerous work police do every day to keep us safe”, Police Minister Yasmin Catley said.
The state, which has the nation’s biggest police force, has been dealing with a debilitating shortage of officers and operating at several thousand positions short of full strength.
A deal and avoiding industrial action is much needed for the Minns Labor government, which is mired in pay disputes with several public-sector unions for key frontline workers.
Nurses have threatened to disregard an industrial court’s order and strike for 24 hours on Wednesday as they too demand a generational change to pay grades.
Sydney Trains staff are also threatening industrial action, while the city’s trams will be free until Thursday in a government peace offer to ward off go-slows amid the drivers’ dispute with contractor Transdev.
The Coalition, which oversaw a wage cap in government, said Labor was unwilling to stand up to unions.
“The consequence of that is industrial chaos in NSW,” Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said.
Premier Chris Minns dismissed any suggestion the state’s new industrial court and bargaining system was not working.
“Bit by bit, week by week, we’ve been landing what we regard as fair increases in salaries and conditions across the public sector,” he told reporters.
“I’m hopeful to announce more soon.”