Our concerns re: the AHP + AHA separate agreement, and what this means for the Salaried Agreement

The ballot for the proposed Agreement for Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) and Allied Health Assistants (AHAs) has resulted in a YES vote.

This is not the result the PSA was advocating for. 

The PSA discussed the terms of the offer widely with our AHP / AHA membership during the extremely limited time frame the government provided between issuing the offer and closing the vote, and the majority of PSA members were opposed to it.

The PSA opposed the terms of the proposed separate AHP / AHA agreement and encouraged members to vote No because it reduced and stripped workers of fundamental working conditions previously fought for and won by PSA members, in return for inadequate, inequitable and divisive wage rises.

The agreement was negotiated in secret with the HSU and bargaining agents.

The PSA lodged an application in the SA Employment Tribunal before the ballot because the government’s conduct during the negotiation process was obviously in breach of the best endeavours requirements of the Fair Work Act.

Notwithstanding the government’s blatant breaches of best endeavours bargaining, and the PSA’s efforts to ensure compliance with the legislation, the government steamrolled the ballot process through without Allied Health workers having sufficient time or opportunity to properly consider all its terms.

The new separate agreement for AHPs and AHAs includes:

• An inadequate 13.5% wage over four years, which, considering the 10% reduction in real value of wages since before the pandemic (as at the end of 2024), equals a 3.5% wage rise in real terms spread over four years.

• Extra allowances for certain AHPs in two disciplines* (*conditions apply!) – but very little for the 24 other AHP disciplines.

• The ability for employers to change workers’ hours from Monday to Fridays to a seven-day roster with three months’ notice – and without any consultation or recourse for those impacted.

• New, express prohibition on taking industrial action during dispute resolution processes.

• Watered down consultation rights, with the employer having the power to decide whether a change can be considered ‘significant’ enough to consult with employees.

• Watered down protection against unreasonable workloads.

• Stripped out Redeployment, Retraining and Redundancy (RRR) clauses - not only weakening workers’ job security but substantially reducing employer accountability.

• Employer discretion to increase ordinary hours of work from 37.5 hours to 38 hours (a 1.3% increase in work hours with no extra pay).

• Ordinary hours for shifts between 7.5 and up to 12 hours – so no additional pay for working 12-hour shifts.

What this means for the Salaried Agreement

This agreement is the first of many public sector agreements under negotiation which has been put to a ballot. 

This includes the Salaried Agreement, which covers most PSA members.

It’s likely the terms of this AHP separate agreement will be used by the government as a blueprint for these upcoming agreements – characterised by inadequate inequitable wage rises, stripped out conditions, and shifting more power to the employer.

We cannot allow this to happen.

The PSA has been growing in strength and numbers on the back of a steadily improving trend that began two years ago, and has been in average weekly growth since 12 July 2024. This is the strongest improvement to membership growth that we have seen in more than 20 years.

PSA members must continue to stand together and build on our actions that are already taking place across South Australian worksites – to show the government that we are willing to fight for wage justice, without sacrificing any of our hard-won conditions.

Are you willing to take action? Talk to your PSA Organiser today.

Thank you to our AHP and AHA Worksite Representatives and members

The PSA would like to acknowledge and thank all Allied Health PSA Worksite Representatives and members for their dedication and commitment during the week of the ballot and the preceding period.

Our members stuck to their principles, attended Zoom and on-site meetings, shared PSA communications in person and on socials, talked to members and potential members, and supported each other collectively during this stressful time.

Let’s continue to support and protect each other as we continue to fight for PSA members’ rights at work.

Contact: youragreement@psaofsa.asn.au

9 July 2025