NSW health workers have been offered a $3,500 pay rise to avoid strike action.

The state's health workers have been presented with a $3,500 flat rate pay increase by Health Minister Ryan Park and Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis during crisis talks with the Health Services Union (HSU).

Under the proposed agreement, the lowest-paid staff will experience a significant wage jump of up to 8 per cent, as opposed to a percentage increase. 

Health support workers, including security officers, hospital ward staff, and administration personnel, stand to benefit the most, with wage increases ranging from 4.5 per cent to 8.5 per cent. 

The $3,500 payment is not a one-time bonus but a permanent addition to base salaries for all NSW Health positions.

Gerard Hayes, the head of the HSU, expressed his gratitude for the offer, highlighting the struggles faced by the lowest-paid workers due to the rising cost of living. 

He urged higher-earning members to support their colleagues in need, saying, “I am asking some of our members who are paid $100,000, or in that range, to do me a favour and help people who are struggling”.