New pay deal hopes to extinguish health risks among firefighters
South Australian firefighters will start 2026 with a pay rise in a deal that includes more medical support for the high-risk profession. Nurses and correction officers’ negotiations continue into the new year.
Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) firefighters will receive a four per cent pay rise in January 2026, igniting a 10.5 per cent wage rise over three years with improved training and medical support.
The deal was reached after 88.5 per cent of United Firefighter Union members voted in support of the terms.
It follows months-long negotiations between the union and the state government, which has also negotiated pay deals with health workers, doctors, teachers and more in 2025.
Industrial Relations Minister Kyam Maher said the deal would also employ more staff to train firefighters and resource the MFS to provide medical support and health screenings.
“Firefighters regularly put their lives on the line to protect the community, whether it’s battling house fires or devastating bushfires, and they deserve our support and recognition of this crucial work,” Maher said.
Firefighters are more likely to contract cancers than workers in other industries due to their exposure to toxins and carcinogens when firefighting, according to the National United Firefighters Union.
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United Firefighters Union SA acting secretary Peter Russell said the health monitoring program could be life-saving.
“The health monitoring program contained in the agreement is a critically important step to attempt to detect early the cancers that firefighters are substantially more likely to contract than the general population, which we hope will save lives of the people who put themselves at risk to serve the community,” he said.
“The agreement provides meaningful recognition of the increased complexity of firefighting in a modern environment with wage rises that recognise the need to value that work.”
It comes after SA parliament recently passed legislation to increase workers’ compensation protection for MFS firefighters and CFS volunteers diagnosed with firefighting-related cancers.
The legislation expanded the list of cancers that were covered under workers’ compensation to include primary site cervical cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, penile cancer and more.
The pay deal also includes a $3000 boost to base wages of all MFS employees, increased base wages of recruit firefighters and more opportunities for career progression.
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The deal would see firefighters’ wages increase by an additional 3.5 per cent in January 2027 and 3 per cent in January 2028 to reach 10.5 per cent over three years.
The agreement will be lodged with the SA Employment Tribunal for approval in the coming weeks.
Nurses, corrections officers still negotiating
Deals are yet to be reached with the Public Service Association (PSA), which covers corrections officers, and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation.
SA’s prison systems were on lockdown for an unprecedented five days in December, prompted by correction officers walking off the job for better pay and conditions.
“Productive discussions with the PSA are continuing and we are optimistic of reaching an in-principle agreement soon,” a state government spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the government is continuing to negotiate “in good faith” with nurses.
“The government presented an offer to the nurses in October including a 13 per cent pay rise over four years, three bonus payments totalling $4500 and a $3000 regional service incentive on completion of every three years of post-incentive service,” the spokesperson said.
The nurses union said in December it is seeking a 23 per cent wage increase by the end of 2027, along with conditions to address retention, attraction and workload.
