NT firefighters protest long pay dispute at Darwin May Day march

Firefighters took their truck slogans to the streets this week in another bid for better pay – just one day after news broke of their CEO’s undisclosed payout.

Hundreds of people turned up to the Unions NT May Day march in Darwin on Monday. Picture: Annabel Bowles

One frontline service at a “complete impasse” in pay negotiations made their grievances loud and clear at Darwin’s May Day march.

Senior NT firefighter of 16 years Andrew Falconer said “two years of failed negotiations” had brought him out to the march on Monday.

“Do you think we were going to sit down and do a four-year wage freeze and actually go backwards with an 8 per cent inflation?” he said.

“We have the name firefighter for a reason, the second part is the big reason – we fight.

“So we’re not copping that shit.”

Fireys protested at the Unions NT May Day March in Darwin on May 1, 2023. Picture: Annabel Bowles

The union has been locked in a bitter stand-off with Fire and Rescue management over pay and conditions since their last EBA expired in November 2021.

Fireys have also been calling for their Chief Fire Officer Mark Spain to resign for several weeks.

The almost fully unionised department has been brandishing slogans on fire trucks calling for better staffing, working conditions and pay.

Paramedics, police and firefighters are not allowed to strike for public safety reasons, leaving them with few options other than writing slogans on work vehicles.

Fireys have been brandishing their grievances on firetrucks for several weeks now, as confidence in their Chief Fire Officer and chief executive have diminished. Picture: Supplied

Many fireys at the march also welcomed the departure of their chief executive Jamie Chalker, though not his confidential settlement with the NT government over its botched attempt to sack him.

“You seem to be able to come up with a massive payout in two weeks for our CEO, that hunted down his own members,” Mr Falconer said.

“Everyone is disgusted in him, so there’s a fair bit of protest and anger here today, as there should be.

“There is a growing number of firefighters that are disgusted in our government.”

Fireys protested against the settlement between their chief executive Jamie Chalker and the NT government at the Unions NT May Day March in Darwin on May 1, 2023. Picture: Annabel Bowles

Mr Falconer said the Chief Spain was “caught between a rock and a hard place” however should not have called the police on members for writing on fire trucks in non-permanent markers

“We were doing our industrial rights,” Mr Falconer said.

“We’re still under protected action and haven’t come to an agreement yet.”

Public Employment Minister Paul Kirby would not be drawn to a timeline on a new pay offer.

“We’ll continue to work really, really closely with the fireys,” he said.

“We’re really keen to continue that hard work we’ll do that over the coming weeks and months and hope we’ll be able to get a deal in front of the fireys that they’re happy to agree to”.

A pay increase of at least six per cent is one of the union’s main demands, as well as far higher staffing levels.

NT Firefighters have been writing slogans on their firetrucks as part of a protected industrial action during ongoing EBA negotiations. Picture: Supplied

Unions NT secretary Erina Early said fireys were still at a “complete end pass” in their fight for better pay.

“The firefighters are going to be out in droves,” she said on Sunday.

“They’re not happy with their enterprise agreement or their Chief Fire Officer.

“Over 30 have applied to leave and work interstate – losing them would be big blow.”

When Mr Spain was approached for comment in April an NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services spokesman said he was on approved leave returning May 3.

“The Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service will not be making any comment regarding current enterprise agreement negotiations or protected industrial action at this time,” he said.

May Day march marks wage freeze ‘win’

Hundreds of people took to the Darwin streets on Monday, marking another powerful May Day and show of union solidarity.

Unions NT president and Electrical Trades Union NT organiser David ‘Strawbs’ Hayes said the strong turnout comes after a “big year” for the Territory.

“We had to combat the four-year wage freeze that was in place – that got lifted in October,” he said.

“We’ve been in the process of securing a number of public sector enterprise agreements over the last few months for about 26,000 workers in the NT.

“We’re getting decent results in those agreements – so that’s fantastic.

“And we’ll just continue in what we do, try to improve legislation around workplace health and safety, about entitlements at work, all those kinds of things.”

Ngaree Ah Kit was one of many Labor MLAs at the Unions NT May Day March in Darwin on May 1, 2023. Picture: Annabel Bowles

All Unions NT-affiliated unions were at the May Day march, including those representing teachers, fireys, electricians, nurses, miners, doctors and many more public and private jobs.

Public Employment Minister Paul Kirby, one of many Labor MLAs at the march, revealed some pay negotiations had moved forward.

“It’s really a celebration of workers, their families and all that they do, not just here in the Northern Territory but right around the world,” he said.

Unions NT May Day march went through the city and ended in Bicentennial Park on the Esplanade. Picture: Annabel Bowles

“We’re really happy to walk and to celebrate with them.

“We’ve done quite a number of agreements over the first half of this year – we did the teachers last year.

“Power and Water and Territory Generation are in a position where they’ll go out to a vote really, really soon.

“We know we had almost 90 per cent of police vote in favour of their recent agreement and very similar numbers with corrections.

“They are reasonable deals that we are putting to people.”

Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union AMWU at the Unions NT May Day March in Darwin on May 1, 2023. Picture: Annabel Bowles

Australian Workers Union AWU at the Unions NT May Day March in Darwin on May 1, 2023. Picture: Annabel Bowles

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation NT branch ANMFNT at the Unions NT May Day March in Darwin on May 1, 2023. Picture: Annabel Bowles

Unions NT secretary Erina Early said ahead of the event it would recognise past and present struggles of workers across Australia and the world.

“It’s also about celebrating our wins,” she said.

“A big win is going to be breaking the wage freeze.”

Unions NT secretary Erina Early said Territory fireys would attend the march “in droves” as they continue to fight for better working conditions. Picture: Floss Adams

Ms Early said Territory unions were all at different stages in pay negotiations, with many still in negotiations after Gunner government policy was scrapped.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation NT branch secretary Cath Hatcher said she was expecting strong numbers from the health sector at Monday’s march.

“We’ve got it from long, hard working days of 12 to 16 hours, back 100 years ago, down to eight-hour working days,” she said.

“That’s one of the big achievements over time.”

May Day, also known as Labour Day in other Australian jurisdictions, commemorates the granting of the eight-hour work day in Australia. Picture: Keri Megelus

Ms Hatcher said well over half of the nursing and midwifery workforce in the Territory were union members.

“We rallied together and were able to change the government’s mind to give us an overall (pay increase) percentage up from two to three per cent with some other allowances,” she said.

A number of politicians agreed to take part in ‘dunk a polly’ include Brent Potter, Lauren Moss, Ngaree Ah Kit, Malarndirri McCarthy and Mark Turner, pending the Blain MLA’s towering figure fitting beneath the bucket.

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