HSU Hails Wage Rise: Relief for Health Workers

Pay rise starts July 1

The Health Services Union (HSU) has expressed approval for the Fair Work Commission’s recent ruling to increase the minimum wage. The decision is expected to alleviate cost-of-living pressures for workers in the health, aged care, and disability sectors.

The Fair Work Commission’s expert panel, on June 3, decided that modern award minimum wages will rise by 3.5 per cent from July 1, 2025. This increase translates to around $44 per week for a full-time disability support worker, $43 per week for a full-time aged care worker, and $36 per week for a full-time pathology collector. Additional wage increases for pathology collectors are anticipated due to a gender undervaluation case.

The union movement in Australia had advocated for a 4.5 per cent increase. Lloyd Williams, National Secretary of the HSU, stated that the decision would benefit workers in health, aged care, and disability sectors, many of whom rely heavily on award wages. He said, “This decision is a vital cost-of-living boost for some of Australia’s lowest-paid workers”. He also added that the decision is a significant step towards addressing the recent decline in real wages for award-reliant workers across these sectors.

The decision on minimum wage follows the Fair Work Commission’s findings in April that many health, care, and support roles have been historically undervalued due to gender-based assumptions. The commission recommended wage increases of up to 35.23 per cent to correct this imbalance. Williams insisted that these wage increases must be implemented fully and without delay.

Williams further stated that the increase, when combined with the gender undervaluation decision, will significantly benefit essential workers, many of whom are women, who have been underpaid and undervalued for a long time. He emphasized that while higher wages for some of the lowest-paid workers are a significant achievement, there is still much work to be done. He concluded by saying, “Essential workers deserve better wages and secure conditions above the minimum”.