Public Sector Wages Policy Statement 2026

Policy
This Statement applies to all Western Australian public sector industrial agreements, except as provided in clause 5.
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  1. The Government of Western Australia recognises the role of registered trade unions and is committed to the primacy of collective bargaining in setting public sector wages and conditions.  
  2. Bargaining forms part of the Government’s broader objective of ensuring a capable and effective public sector workforce continues to deliver outcomes for the WA community.  
  3. Negotiating parties will adhere to good faith bargaining principles in the negotiation of public sector industrial agreements.  
  4. This Statement applies to:  
    1. Western Australian public sector industrial agreements, except as provided in clause 5; and  
    2. industrial agreements covering employees engaged by the WA Police Force.  
  5. The Public Sector Wages Policy Statement 2023 continues to apply to industrial agreements that expired before 6 May 2026.  
  6. In making offers during bargaining for each occupational group, the Government will: 
    1. place specific emphasis on delivering financially sustainable outcomes that are reasonable in the context of each negotiation; and 
    2. prioritise the timely negotiation of replacement industrial agreements.   
  7. Subject to principal 6(a), the Government will prioritise initiatives which support:  
    1. the longer term attraction and retention of skilled public sector workers;  
    2. improved service delivery in regional centres and remote communities in Western Australia;  
    3. the commitment to direct and permanent employment as the preferred mode of employment; and 
    4. improved operations and performance of public sector organisations.  
  8. The Government may consider the provision of cross-sector entitlements, or enhancements to wages and conditions achieved outside of bargaining for each occupational group in applying principle 6.  
  9. The provisions of a new or replacement industrial agreement will apply from the date of registration. The Government may consider retrospective wage increases up to the expiry of any previous agreement, in the context of good faith bargaining.  
  10. New or replacement industrial agreements will not apply to employees who leave their employment prior to the agreement being registered with the Western 
    Australian Industrial Relations Commission. 
  11. Public sector employers must adhere to all requirements under the Premier's Circular 2025/16 - Government Labour Relations Management Framework (or its 
    replacement) in negotiations for industrial agreements.
     

Documents

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