NT Public Employment Commissioner claims to Fair Work Commission it is ‘unable to resolve’ wage fight with 14,000 Territorians after first-round offer rejected
The NT Government will claim to the Fair Work Commission it is ‘unable to resolve’ a wage negotiation with more than 14,000 Territorians, despite only one offer having been made to the public service.
The NT Government has claimed its pay rise negotiations with more than 14,000 Territorians has already reached a deadlock requiring federal intervention after the first round offer was rejected by the public service.
On Wednesday the Fair Work Commission will hear an application by the NT Public Employment Commissioner over a pay negotiation dispute with the NT public service, after its 3 per cent per year wage bump offer was knocked back.
The morning closed conference before Commissioner Bernie Riordan is expected to hear arguments from the Public Employment Commissioner that the federal body had to step in as the parties were “unable to resolve the dispute”.
The unusual move by the government comes after their offer was rejected in just the first round of voting in September, with 62 per cent of public servants rejecting the initial offer of a 12 per cent increase over four years.
Minister for Public Service Jo Hersey said she was “disappointed” the offer was rejected “when other Territorians are doing it tough with cost-of-living pressures”.
Ms Hersey filed an application to the Fair Work Commission, claiming the government and unions were “unable to resolve the dispute”, despite the unions maintaining they were willing to continue the usual bargaining process.
In a September letter to the unions seen by the NT News, Public Employment Commissioner Nichole Hurwood said while she accepted the employees’ vote, she maintained “the offer was fair and reasonable”.
Ms Hurwood said the first offer in the EBA negotiations provided for pay increases “that are affordable to government and above current and projected CPI (Consumer Price Index)”.
Ms Hurwood also said the offer included “additional enhancements to general provisions” and ways to address attraction and retention in key areas”.
Since February the NT Government maintained it would not offer salary, allowance or condition increases of more than 3 per cent per annum, under the NTPS Enterprise Bargaining Policy 2025 – 2028.
“Any cost increases above 3 per cent per annum (are) to be funded by real, bankable, productivity offsets and work practice reform initiatives,” the policy stated.
Ms Hurwood told the unions given the Wages Policy, the NT Government had outlined the “parameters within which an offer could be made”.
“Bargaining representatives were invited throughout the process to identify real, bankable offset savings and productivity improvements that could fund claims that were made about the Wages Policy — including additional pay increases,” she said.
“These were not forthcoming.”
It is understood to be highly unusual for any union to be asked to create a cost cutting plan on behalf of their employer, let alone multiple government departments.
Ms Hurwood said there were more than 270 claims during the bargaining process, which is understood to involve 10 unions representing thousands of employees in administrative, professional, technical, and physical roles across various government departments.
In February Ms Hersey said the 3 per cent raises cap kept the balance between “competitive pay rises while keeping our finances strong and sustainable”.
The NT Budget said public service employee expenses accounted for about 40 per cent of the general government sector’s total expenses, and were estimated to total $4.05bn per annum.
Mrs Hersey reaffirmed no public service jobs would be cut, however the unions have raised concerns about proposed changes to the government’s redundancy policies which they say could leave workers exposed to instant dismissal.
Despite taking public servants to the Fair Work Commissioner, the NT Government has already made concessions to other unions bound by the Wages Policy.
In May the NT Police Association rejected a 3 per cent offer, calling it “a slap in the face to every police officer” and “insulting”.
By September the NTPA had secured a 15 per cent pay deal over the next four years — with the NT Government offering cops a five per cent bump, a four per cent increase the following year, and then three per cent in each of the following two years.
And while the Wages Policy claimed any agreement would “not include any back-pay”, the NTPA was also able to secure the retroactive salary bump to when negotiations began in August.
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Originally published as NT Public Employment Commissioner claims to Fair Work Commission it is ‘unable to resolve’ wage fight with 14,000 Territorians after first-round offer rejected
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