The Ambulance Employees Association of South Australia’s (AEA) leadership has endorsed the State Government’s enterprise bargaining offer, which would deliver wage rises and better conditions for the State’s ambulance officers.

The SA Ambulance Service Enterprise Agreement 2025 would cover around 2,100 workers and would offer a total wage rise of 13.5% including increases of 3.5% from 31 December 2025; 3.5% from 31 December 2026; 3.5% from 31 December 2027; and 3.0% from 31 December 2028.

This follows months of good faith negotiations including direct discussions between the Premier, Deputy Premier and Industrial Relations Minister, the Health Minister and the AEA leadership.

It’s in stark contrast to the Liberals who did not give ambos one pay rise during their entire four-year term.

Highlights of the offer include:

• Additional pay points and classification increments
• Penalty payments for end of shift overtime increasing to 200%
• Increased Regional Incentive Payments
• Improved paid primary carer leave and paid partner leave
• Professional development allowance of $1,200 per year

This in-principle agreement builds on the significant investment the Government has been making in the public health system.

The Malinauskas Labor Government is delivering 24 brand-new, upgraded or completely rebuilt ambulance stations – 16 of which are already complete.

The Government is also delivering more than 600 extra hospital beds to expand capacity and has recruited more than 2,700 additional frontline health workers above attrition since the election, including more than 300 extra ambos.

The offer, which has been endorsed by AEA State Council, will now be put to a ballot of all employees for approval in the coming weeks.

It follows a raft of major enterprise agreements successfully negotiated in the past year, including with allied health workers, doctors, aged care, disability services, early childhood educators, hospital orderlies and sterilisation technicians, police and SA Water staff.

Quotes

Attributable to Peter Malinauskas

Our ambulance officers do extremely valuable and difficult work. They save lives.

They deserve a real wage increase and that’s what this offer provides.

Our predecessors refused to pay ambos what they were worth and cut money from the Ambulance Service.

We have done the opposite, delivering a generational investment in more ambulances, more ambulance stations, and hundreds of new ambulance officers.

The investment is making a real difference, with two out of three lights & sirens emergencies now seen on time, compared to just one out of three when we came to office.

Attributable to Kyam Maher

Our ambulance officers work extraordinarily hard and they deserve a real wage increase well above inflation.

In 2022, one of the first things we did upon coming to Government was negotiate with the Union to deliver ambulance workers their first pay rise since 2017 after the former Liberal Government forced ambulance employees to keep working through COVID-19 without any pay rise whatsoever.

Today I am pleased that after months of good faith negotiations the State Government has been able to reach in-principle agreement Ambulance Employee Association’s leadership for a new EB agreement.

Attributable to Chris Picton

Our ambos deliver extraordinary care to our community day in day out. They deserve a fair and reasonable pay rise and better conditions which this offer will deliver them.

We have invested significantly in the ambulance service since being elected, putting more ambos on the road and building new stations. This investment has helped turn around response times so that two in three lights and sirens emergencies are now reached on time compared to only one in three under the former Liberal Government.

We are building a bigger health system for South Australians including adding 600 extra hospital beds and so far recruiting more than 2,700 additional frontline health workers above attrition, including more than 300 extra ambos.

Attributable to Paul Ekkelboom, General Secretary, Ambulance Employees Association

The Ambulance Employees Association of South Australia welcomes the offer made by the South Australian Government. This package represents the culmination of a determined campaign by the AEA to secure a deal that delivers real wage growth, strengthens our ability to attract and retain dedicated Ambos, and reflects the professionalism of our members as clinicians and critical ambulance service workers.

We are pleased that this offer acknowledges the invaluable experience and recognition of our members by introducing progression through the service with additional pay points across almost all positions.

We also welcome the introduction of new allowances, recognising those who have contributed to the service and the community over many years. In addition, the new professional development allowance will highlight both the requirements of the role and the broader benefits our profession brings to the South Australian community.

This offer not only improves pay and conditions for our members but also establishes a strong foundation to attract and retain staff into the future.

We endorse this offer being put to a ballot of members as soon as possible.