Territory teachers are set to vote on taking strike action over the government’s pay freeze

Territory teachers could strike for the first time in eight years during Term 3. SEE WHY

TERRITORY teachers could strike during Term 3 because of the NT government’s pay rise freeze.

Australian Education Union NT branch secretary Adam Lampe says the union intends to apply for a protected action ballot (PAB) through the Fair Work Commission.

PABs are secret ballots that give employees the chance to vote on whether or not they want to initiate protected industrial action.

Term 3 industrial action could follow.

If Territory teachers vote to strike, it will be the first such action since 2014.

“We say we have to have the best paid teachers in the country in order to recruit and retain because we don’t have enough graduates to cover vacancies. Nowhere near it,” Mr Lampe said.

“When the Victorians get a pay rise next month they’ll be a thousand dollars above us, plus they’ll get a 1 per cent Christmas bonus plus another 2 per cent bonus.”

The Territory Government’s four-year pay freeze kicks off with a $4000 first-up bonus and then $2000 bonus payments in subsequent years.

“NSW teachers are in an industrial campaign and Western Australian teachers were offered 5.5 per cent over two years,” Mr Lamps said.

“If the Territory Government doesn’t do something about the pay we’ll become the lowest paid teachers across the country in three or four years. It will embed Territory teachers as the lowest paid.

“I don’t think the government knows what to do, to be honest. They’re locked into the pay freeze policy but the economic circumstances have changed and the government’s not responding to that.

“They’re sticking to a decision that was made when we were in a different place.”

Looming strike action acomes as Territory classrooms face a second-semester teacher shortage because of lower pay rates compared to their southern counterparts.

Mr Lampe warned interstate education departments were already poaching NT teachers and local chalkies would continue to leave as pay rates in the Territory fell behind.

He said the NT government’s policies threatened to “embed” Territory teachers as the country’s lowest paid.

Victorian teachers will next month surpass Territory teachers as the country’s highest paid.

Australian Education Union NT branch secretary Adam Lampe has warned interstate education departments are already poaching our teachers.

“We have other jurisdictions offering a pay rise and better conditions and the Territory Government appears to have dug in its heals over wages policy,” Mr Lampe said.

“Next month Victorian teachers get a 1 per cent pay rise which will put them above the CT9 (Classroom Teacher) classification.

“Plus we’re getting principals being contacted unsolicited by employment agencies to take principal jobs interstate.”

An Education Department spokeswoman did not deny the Victorian salary increase would impact comparative wages in the Territory but said the Territory offered great opportunities for start-up teachers and the Department was focused on teacher permanency.

“The Northern Territory offers educators great opportunities to commence their teaching career, providing the highest base salary for first year teachers in Australia,” the spokeswoman said.

“Relocation allowances, remote teaching allowances and the opportunity to fast track their career are incentives that attract and retain educators in the Territory.

“There are teacher recruitment challenges across Australia and education systems are working collaboratively to increase the supply of teachers.”

Other measures adopted by the government to boost recruitment include $2.4m allocated in the 2022-23 Department of Education budget towards strengthening teacher and principal recruitment strategies; simplifying the approach to teacher permanency which has seen 838 teachers made permanent across the Territory between term four 2017 and mid-May 2022; investing $17,500 per associate this financial year recruiting staff under the Teach for Australia program and investment to attract more Aboriginal educators.

Mr Lampe said it was senior teachers who were most at risk of being recruited interstate.

“There is going to come a critical point where schools won’t be able to run classes because they won’t have the teachers to do it,” Mr Lampe said.

“The only thing going to stop them from leaving would be the dry season weather. I can’t see any other reason. The only advantage we have at the moment is it’s a good place to be at this time of year.

“With a shortage of teachers, workloads have increased with greater contact time. They have to cover classes for absent teachers because we can’t find relief teachers.”

Mr Lampe also claims Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) negotiations with the NT government have stalled although the Education Department statement on Friday saying discussions are ongoing.

He sent a letter to Public Service Commissioner Vicki Telfer on May 23 urging her back to the negotiating table saying meetings and is understood to have had communication with Ms Telfer on June 15.

He said meetings with Education Minister Eva Lawler and Public Employment Minister Paul Kirby had not been productive.

Ms Telfer was contacted for comment.