Ahpra EA Update: some progress, but more work to do

  19 May 2026

In our battle for a fair EA outcome for Ahpra staff we made some progress last week.

The Ahpra Board has approved some improvements to the offer to staff.

The wages offer was increased by 0.5 per cent, now totalling 11 per cent over 3 years – 4.5 per cent in 2026, 3.5 per cent in 2027 and 3.0 per cent in 2028. Two additional days were added to natural disaster leave and compassionate leave. New provisions for reproductive leave and foster and kinship leave each at 5 days per annum were included along with 10 days for gender affirmation leave. Ahpra has also agree to pay superannuation to staff taking unpaid parental leave for up to 12 months.

These are positive steps, and they reflect the pressure staff and unions have applied.

But more is needed.

Protection Against Rising Inflation

Ahpra still refuses to provide any protection if inflation rises above the wage increases in the Agreement.

Other employers are addressing this by including a CPI top-up clause, which ensures that if inflation exceeds the negotiated pay rise, staff receive an additional increase.

This approach shares the risk of high inflation between employer and employees.

Ahpra says it wants certainty and predictability over the next three years – and staff want exactly the same. Staff deserve to know their real wages won’t go backwards, to have certainty they’ll be able to afford the cost of living.

Stripping Conditions from Future Workers

Ahpra are asking existing staff to sell off the entitlements of future staff. They want to abolish leave loading for future staff, they want to scrap conditional leave days for future staff, and now they have indicated they want future staff to work at lower
classifications.

In response to the concerns we have raised about the changes to the work descriptors, changes that could see many roles performed at a lower salary than at present, Ahpra has offered to exclude existing staff having their classification reduced
because of the changes. While that’s great for existing staff, although roles they may have hoped to gain through promotion may now be paid less, it means new workers coming in could be performing identical roles but on lower salaries.

As we’ve said previously, existing staff should not sell off the wages and conditions of future staff. Firstly, because it’s not fair but also because it will ultimately result in everyone’s wages and conditions falling.

Workload Is Still Being Ignored

We remain frustrated that Ahpra continues to refuse meaningful discussions about workload.

Staff have consistently identified excessive workloads as one of their biggest concerns.

There are straightforward systems and tools that could be implemented to help staff identify and escalate workload issues and ensure they are properly addressed. Most workplaces have mechanisms like this. Instead, Ahpra wants to rely on a single psychosocial risk survey.

We welcome the survey and encourage all staff to complete it. The survey is open from 18 May to 3 June. But a survey alone is not a solution. It should be one tool among a broader set of measures to address excessive workloads.

Join the staff union briefing – 20 May

It’s clear Ahpra is moving towards putting this offer out to a ballot of staff. It’s our judgement that the current offer is insufficient to address the issues raised by staff.

We have scheduled our third union/staff briefing, at which time we will ask for your view on whether we should be preparing to run a NO campaign against this offer.

The next briefing will be held:

Meeting Details 

Date Wednesday 20 May 2026

Time 12:00pm AEST (10:00am AWST / 11:30am ACST)

Location Join via Teams HERE

Authorised by Stewart Little (CPSU-SPSF Group), 160 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000; Annie Butler (ANMF), 1/365 Queen Street, Melbourne VIC 3000; and Alex Scott (Together Queensland), Level 4, 43 Peel Street, South Brisbane QLD 4101.