Two-thirds of Darwin City Council staff vote no to proposed 2 per cent pay rise

Staff have rejected a proposed enterprise agreement amid soaring cost of living pressures in Darwin.

TWO-THIRDS of Darwin City Council staff have voted down a proposed enterprise agreement.

Unions have argued the rebuke was over soaring cost of living pressures in the Territory capital, with the cost of living in Darwin rising by 6 per cent in the 12 months to December 2021.

Council workers were offered a 2 per cent increase to their pay, but the Australian Services Union, United Workers Union and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union said the agreement would also strip staff of weekend penalty rates, reduce job security and reduce redundancy entitlements

Darwin City Council interim chief executive Simone Saunders said council would “approach future enterprise bargaining in good faith”.

“As we move forward will also continue to balance business needs, financial realities and community requirements with the expectations of our staff,” Ms Saunder said.

“In the meantime, the City of Darwin Enterprise Agreement 2017 will continue to operate.”

United Workers Union NT secretary Erina Early said council workers had sent DCC a “clear message”.

“They do not support an agreement which cuts their conditions of employment,” Ms Early said.

“City of Darwin management and Councillors should be ashamed to attack their employees conditions of employment when they work so hard for the people of Darwin.”

Australian Services Union NT secretary Abbie Spencer said council staff had not received a wage increase since September 2019.

The rebuke of council’s EBA offer comes in the same week the Territory government’s EBA was somewhat derailed, after a public servant submitted an old version of the agreement to the Fair Work Commission.

Territory public servants agreed to a wage freeze in December 2021, in exchange for more entitlements and a $4000 bonus.

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