NT nurses could face $13k fine for striking against the wage freeze

Hundreds of public sector workers protested outside Parliament House this week, but only 30 were nurses and midwives. Read why.

While hundreds of teachers and fireys walked off the job to protest a wage freeze, other public sector workers could have been slapped with an eye-watering fine for doing the same.

Nurses and midwives are being warned to only protest outside of their shift hours, as well as not wear a union shirt in the workplace, or risk a $13,320 fine.

What’s more, the NT branch of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation could be hit with a $66,600 fine for every individual breach of industrial action law.

ANMF NT Branch secretary Cath Hatcher said that was likely to remain the case for another couple of months.

“We are not ready at the table to do a strike yet or any industrial action,” she said.

“We have not had the final offer from the Commissioner of Public Employment.

“While teachers, fireys and corrections have all been at the table for more than 12 months, we have been at the table for three.”

Ms Hatcher said that was because nurses entered a four-year wage freeze, while the rest of the public sector is negotiating an end to its three-year freeze.

There were about 800 public sector workers protesting outside Parliament House on Thursday, but only 30-odd were nurses and midwives.

Mark Turner behind nurses and midwives at the union strike on September 1. Picture: Floss Adams

Demonstrations also took place in Katherine, Alice Springs, Nhulunbuy and other NT communities.

“We know what the offer is going to be, whether it’s this month or next month.,” Ms Hatcher said.

Ms Hatcher said the current offer did not include any wage increases but $10,000 in bonuses over four years.

The final offer to nurses and midwives is due to be handed down in the next couple of months.

The Labor government’s final offers to teachers and corrections officers’ were rejected by both respective unions.

Those offers will now be voted on by public sector employees.

HUNDREDS WALK OFF THE JOB IN PAY PROTEST

Teachers, nurses, firefighters and correction officers were among the 800-strong crowd to gather outside Parliament House in Darwin on Thursday.

Industrial action was also taken in Katherine and Alice Springs.

Unions NT secretary Erina Early said the NT government needed to listen and increase pays to keep up with the rising cost of inflation.

“The growing concern from the workers is they’re not happy with the current wage freeze from the NT Government,” she said.

“We need a wage that is keeping up with the cost of living and making sure that people are staying here.”

She said the offer of a one-off bonus payment was not enough.

“They’ve got the cash money of $10,000 to try and bribe people — lights and flashing lights to try and get people to sign on the enterprise agreements, she said.

“But it’s not working with the teachers, your nurses, your correctional officers and fireys.

The consensus of industry was a five to six per cent pay increase was required.

Ms Early said the turnout to the day of action was “absolutely fantastic”.

“You got a lot of your frontline workers here that made a presence today — I’d say we had about 800 people here on your huge move in here this morning,” she said.

CLP leader Lia Finocchiaro said her party supported the public sector workers in their efforts.

“It’s ironic that the same unions who traditionally support a Labor Government are so determined to make a point that they’ve rejected an offer, instead choosing to strike and send a clear message.”

Ms Finocchiaro said if CLP were in power the wage freeze would be scrapped.

“A government I lead would scrap the pay freeze and instead sit down at the table and negotiate real wage growth with the public servants who work so hard,” she said.

“Budget repair would come from scrapping the pet projects and building a strong economy where government and private sector work closely for the good of the Territory.”

LATEST ROUND OF PAY OFFERS REJECTED

The action comes just two days after a last-ditch offer was put to workers’ unions offering wage increases, which the teachers and corrections officers’ unions have rejected.

The unions have described the offers as “a dog’s breakfast” and “a manipulation” rather than an end to the four-year wage freeze.

Public Employment Minister Paul Kirby said it was disappointing the offer had not been accepted following weeks of work.

“We’ve been working really hard over the last few weeks to make sure we’ve got vastly improved offers to put in front of corrections officers and also teachers,” he said.

“My understanding is the executives of those unions have met today and they’ve discussed those offers and it appears they won’t be supported which is disappointing.

“We know that the offer put to teachers would continue to make the Northern Territory teachers some of the best paid in the nation.

“And we know that some of the senior people within the union thought that the offers that we were putting in front of them were quite generous.”

Minister for Public Employment Paul Kirby. Picture: Floss Adams.

However Australian Education Union NT secretary Adam Lampe described the offer as “a dog’s breakfast”.
“A teacher of the highest qualification would be getting around $5000 more on their salary, as well as bonuses,” he said.
“Everyone would be getting a different increase, which is an issue, as it wasn’t actually breaking the freeze and instead was a realignment of levels.
“We’re asking for an end to the wage freeze and a real living wage increase, not something that’s loaded with bonuses.
“Teachers haven’t had a pay increase including bonuses in 18 months.
“It’s a stain on the Labor government to persist on what is an anti-worker policy.”
It’s the third offer made to the AEU NT in the past 12 months.

Adam Lampe, Branch Secretary of the AEU-NT. Picture: Erlich Chloe.

Unions NT secretary Erina Early said Chief Minister Natasha Fyles needs to start listening to her workers.
“It is not a wage offer, rather a manipulation of the current wage classifications so the Chief Minister does not have to amend her government’s pathetic wage freeze policy,” she said.

“Lose the wage freeze and allow her hard working nurses, fireys, correctional officers, T Gen workers, power and water workers, teachers, Aboriginal Health Practitioners, doctors and more to negotiate a proper wage increase.

“Ignoring these workers and providing offers which do not allow yearly wage increases needs to stop.
“The impact of the government wage freeze has a flow on effect to all Territorians not just public sector workers.
“It’s time Fyles to lose the freeze.”

Mr Kirby said the process of getting to an agreed decision would be a long one.

“Those offers may still go out for vote in the coming weeks to see if they are supported or not supported by corrections officers and teachers and then the process will continue,” he said.

Teachers are planning to strike in front of Parliament House tomorrow, along with nurses, corrections officers, firefighters and power and water employees.

It comes less than two weeks since the last stop work action teachers took.

Originally published as NT nurses could face $13k fine for striking against the wage freeze