A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Aged Care has told The Weekly SOURCE the Federal Government is still considering the pay rise for aged care nurses taking effect starting 1 March 2025, and further information will be provided "in the near future".
Less than four weeks out from the planned pay rise, there has been no confirmation from the Government when funding will be provided and even if it will be covered by the Government.
The increase in the minimum wage for Registered Nurses (RNs) and Enrolled Nurses (ENs) working in aged care will flow to staff over three "broadly speaking" equal tranches from 1 March 2025, 1 October 2025, and 1 August 2026.
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) announced the nurse wage increases on 6 December 2024, based on their finding the nurses' workload has been historically undervalued due to assumptions based on gender.
While some aged care nurses won't receive a pay rise, the majority will receive between 4.2% and 25.5% in addition to the 15% already granted.
According to data with the Fair Work Ombudsman, the changes mean that a level 1 nurse working in aged care in their first year will earn a minimum rate of $35.41 per hour, compared with $29.60 per hour for a level 1 pay point 1 RN not working in aged care, a difference of nearly 20%.
Casual nurses working in aged care will have a minimum hourly rate of $44.26 per hour once the increase takes effect.
The increases to minimum wages will apply as part of new employee classification structures for ENs and RNs working in aged care. The previous five-level pay classification structure for ENs working in aged care will change to one single level, with one minimum wage. And the classification structure for RNs working in aged care has also changed – from 27 pay points spread across five levels to eight pay points spread across five levels.
The updated version of the Nurses Award 2020 will be published on 28 February 2025.
