Hello everyone

Following my last update in April on the status of wage negotiations across the Tasmanian State Service, I am pleased to inform you that agencies have begun to adjust salaries and backpay to the first full pay in December 2025 for the following seven State Service agreements:

  • Public Sector Unions Wages Agreement (PSUWA)
  • Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority Staff Agreement
  • Dental Officers Agreement
  • Radiation Therapists Agreement
  • AWU Public Sector Union Wages Agreement
  • Allied Health Professionals Public Sector Unions Wages Agreement
  • Ministerial Drivers Agreement

Agencies will be advising employees of specific pay dates for the increases and adjustments, however all agencies will have made these adjustments by the end of the financial year.

This is a significant milestone and I am proud that these agreements deliver fair, reasonable and affordable outcomes, along with positive improvements we have consistently pursued in good faith together with all public sector unions.

Agreement has also been reached for Teachers and Engineers that were due in March of this year, with both these agreements in drafting and then proceeding to registration with the Tasmanian Industrial Commission.

I am also pleased to advise that a revised offer was made last week on the Ambulance Tasmania Industrial Agreement which was accepted by HACSU yesterday. This three‑year agreement provides salary increases of 3 per cent in year one, 3 per cent in year two, and 2.75 per cent in year three, alongside structural adjustments, a modernised classification structure and improved conditions to support the wellbeing of our ambulance workforce.

Improvements to leave and conditions

The State Service Management Office (SSMO) together with public sector unions attended a hearing before the Tasmanian Industrial Commission on 1 June 2026. This was to vary a number of public sector awards to give effect to new Tasmanian State Service standard leave and conditions achieved through this round of bargaining.

New standard leave and conditions of employment for:

  • Reproductive leave
  • Right to disconnect
  • Pregnancy loss leave

Amended conditions of employment for:

  • Parental leave (reduction in qualifying period)
  • Personal leave to attend medical appointments
  • Increasing the cap on personal leave for caring purposes
  • Increase in family violence leave
  • Flexibility for gender affirmation leave
  • Changes to the evidence requirements for compassionate and bereavement leave
  • Amendment to the definition of immediate family for personal, compassionate and bereavement and family violence leave
  • Response to recreation leave applications
  • Changes to workplace delegates leave for part-time and shift workers

These variations were made for the majority of the TSS awards and are available from 11 May 2026 except for right to disconnect, recreation leave applications and half pay requests for gender affirmation leave that are available from 1 June 2026.

Further fact sheets and guidance will be available on the Department of Premier and Cabinet website in coming weeks and I encourage you to speak to your People and Culture teams regarding any questions on conditions that apply in your agencies.

I wish to recognise and thank the many State Service employees, agency teams, lead negotiators and the SSMO team that have worked tirelessly to progress negotiations and get us to this stage. Your hard work has been critical to this achievement.

I also wish to recognise the work of public sector unions and their employee representatives for their constructive engagement to work towards agreements that deliver a comprehensive range of positive improvements for employees and in our workplaces.

Updates on remaining agreements

  • It is expected that the negotiations for the Visiting Medical Practitioners will be finalised shortly.
  • Longer term negotiations are continuing for Firefighters, Medical Practitioners and Education Facility Attendants.
  • Negotiations are progressing on the Nurses and Midwives Agreement and the Correctional Officers Agreement.

We remain committed to these negotiations continuing constructively and in good faith.

I will continue to keep you updated, and your Head of Agency will keep you informed on agency-specific details. The Tasmanian State Service negotiations website will also continue to be updated.

Targeted negotiated voluntary redundancy program

On Monday, 1 June 2026, the Premier announced an expression of interest (EOI) process for Targeted and Negotiated Voluntary Redundancies (TNVR).

Eligible State Service employees may receive a TNVR payment to voluntarily leave their State Service employment in the period 1 July to 31 December 2026. This will be for up to 500 positions (including the Department of State Growth) in non-frontline and corporate roles across participating State Service Agencies, with all EOI’s being carefully assessed against each agencies operational requirements and the service delivery needs to the Tasmanian community.

Further details about the EOI process will be provided within your agency over the coming weeks.

That’s a long update from me, but one I wanted to share with everyone this week, to acknowledge the work across the State Service to continue to make the Tasmanian State Service a great place to work.

Kind regards

Kathrine Morgan-Wicks PSM
Head of the State Service