The Police Association has negotiated a historic enterprise bargaining deal for its members, with lead negotiator and president Wade Burns saying it’s a necessary outcome in the quest to avert the retention crisis gripping policing in SA.
Pivotal to the new arrangement are increased wages, starting on the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2025, that represent the highest comparative pay rises for SA police since enterprise bargaining began in 1995.
In addition to wage outcomes, the deal also comes with an extensive suite of improved conditions. And, because the deal is an administrative arrangement rather than a conventional three-year agreement, a broader list of conditions and new initiatives are on the table for ongoing negotiations between the association and the state government — ensuring police retention issues continue to be examined.
The negotiated pay rises include a significant percentage increase, but also a police-specific retention salary increase (added into base salary) and a police-specific retention payment (one-off payment) in January 2025 and January 2026 respectively.
In the period up to January 1, 2026, those pay rises provide for minimum increases ranging from 11.2% to 17.9%, depending on rank and increment.
The association also negotiated to have the junior cadet rate abolished. This outcome, along with the pay increases, delivers new recruits under the age of 21 an astonishing 47.4% immediate pay rise.
“These are historic pay rises but the broader scope of this outcome includes so much more,” President Burns said.
“The government, to its credit, has taken the retention crisis in policing seriously.
“Officials sat down with us for extensive negotiations during which I presented to them a clear path forward.
“I have said all along this would likely be our last chance to prevent a mass exodus from SAPOL.
“The government did listen to those concerns — and it needed to.
“There is an extensive list of improved conditions that will be implemented as part of the arrangement, and many more on the table for future negotiations, with the view of safeguarding policing in SA.”
For some ranks and increments, this arrangement up to January 1, 2026, delivers a better outcome than the total increase provided by the entirety of the 2021 enterprise agreement.
It represents the largest base pay increase, comparatively, since the first SA police enterprise bargaining outcome in 1995.
With the addition of the one-off police-specific retention payment in 2026, the pay rises comparatively represent the highest percentage increase for all members in the history of SA police enterprise bargaining.
“It’s also important to note the base pay rise figures don’t include allowances, shift penalties and other negotiated outcomes,” President Burns said.
“So, calculated on these significantly higher base salaries, allowances and shift penalties will be worth more to members.
“And the extraordinary pay rise to young recruits, as a result of the abolition of the junior cadet rate, is a massive boost for SAPOL’s recruiting team. It will help to restore policing as a job of choice for young people.
“It’s a historic outcome and a significant step forward for the future of policing in this state.”
Attached:
1. Full rank and salary increment increases
2. Full list of improved conditions to be implemented as part of the Administrative Arrangement.
