Nurses union to vote on new deal

Obviously they've been tough.

That's no secret about that.

In fact, in the current environment, all of our EBA negotiations in the public sector have been difficult because they're robust negotiations.

Unions have a legitimate role to play to get the best outcome for their members.

But similarly, the government's got a role to play to make sure that we're keeping our eye on the bottom line.

Again, that balance right is difficult, but we're a government that's committed to good faith negotiations.

We respect the role that unions have to play.

We respect the role that unions have in exercising strike action if they so choose.

But we want to negotiate in good faith, and we've done that, and now we've landed an agreement.

So the agreement has been reached and the Premier was talking about it at the press conference, as I said earlier on today.

He has outlined how much of a pay rise nurses will get.

Today I'm very pleased that on the back of the Treasurer and Health Minister and my negotiations we've been able to land an agreement with the Nurses' Union for a 16% pay rise over a three year period.

This will mean that nurses' wages in South Australia lived quite substantially and continue to ensure that the amount that the South Australian government pays our nurses is competitive to the rest of the nation.

And that's important because we see more nurses employed in South Australia than ever before.

400 years ago, we said we'd increase the number of nurses in South Australia over and above attrition by 300.

We've increased it by over 2,000.

We have employed more nurses, more new nurses over and above attrition than any other government in the state's history.

2,000 additional new nurses over and above the rate of attrition.