‘Going around and around on a roller coaster’: Public sector stops work in face of wage offers

Public sector workers including nurses and teachers dropped tools across the Top End as they try to force the government into increasing wages. Read how the government responded.

Public sector workers took a day of action to protest wage offers today.

Nurses, teachers, fire officers, correctional officers and water and power workers across the Northern Territory walked off the job on Thursday.

Correctional officers were out for 12 hours, teachers were striking for four hours and it was unclear how long nurses, firies and power and water staff were off the job.

Workers have been taking action for months now.

Public Employment Minister Paul Kirby, who made an appearance at UnionsNT’s strike outside Parliament House on Thursday, said the government would continue to “bargain in good faith” with the Territory’s public servants.

“We know what the problems are, we don’t want to lose teachers, we don’t want to lose sparkies, we don’t want to lose anybody out of the Northern Territory,” he said.

“We’ll continue to look at how we improve on top of two per cent and get people a realistic pay rise.”

Mr Kirby said the government was working closely with teachers in particular over the past few days to get a better understanding of their concerns.

“As with any agreement, there’s always discussions about parts of the Agreement that do suit and don’t suit,” he said.

“There were parts of leave arrangements for teachers that didn’t suit them, we were able to get that costed through Treasury and offer some extra to teachers around that.”

Public sector workers gathered on the Parliament House lawns to strike against low wages. Picture: Sierra Haigh

The CLP’s Marie-Claire Boothby said public servants were on strike because wages were still an unresolved problem.

“They want action from the government who seems to be asleep at the wheel,” she said.

“People, teachers, firefighters, police are all leaving the Territory because they can go somewhere else and have a nicer life and better wages.”

UnionsNT secretary Erina Early said members previously “smashed the wage freeze”.

“Now we are dealing with a wage offer of two per cent for each year of the enterprise agreements,” she said.

“We feel like we are going around and around on roller coaster, with the government hoping the workers fall off and give up.

“This will not happen and Thursday’s day of action is to demonstrate to the government – your workers are angry and fed up with the constant lack of support and the governments shameful wages position, Territorian public service workers deserve better.”

Work stoppages took place throughout the day in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs.

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Originally published as ‘Going around and around on a roller coaster’: Public sector stops work in face of wage offers