East Arnhem Regional Council workers considering strike action against employers over pay fight

A remote Territory council’s workforce are prepared to walk off the job, scale down services and take action against their employer after pay negotiations reach a deadlock. See why this pay fight could make NT history.

East Arnhem Regional Council, which covers nine remote communities including Galiwin'ku, Ramingining, Milyakburra, Milingimbi, Gapuwiyak, Umbakumba, Angurugu, Yirrkala and Gunyangara. Picture: Facebook

A remote Territory council has been accused of steamrolling over staff and ignoring the voices of its largely Aboriginal workforce amid a fight over pay and conditions in one of the most isolated local government regions in Australia.

The majority Yolngu workforce of the East Arnhem Regional Council are about to vote on taking protected industrial action after two-thirds of the staff rejected the Territory council’s latest pay offer.

If the vote passes, it will be the first time in more than two decades that a remote council workforce has taken strike action in the Territory.

The United Workers Union, which represents around 70 per cent of the remote council’s workforce, said negotiations with the council broke down last month after the council attempted to steamroll a rejected pay offer onto workers.

The EARC’s offer included a four per cent raise for all employees, with a further four per cent boost to locality, outdoor, sleepover and meal allowances.

Night watch and Sobering Up Shelter employees were also given a similar boost if they are qualified and prepared to administer first aid as part of their duties, while multilingual employees would get $50 a day if asked to provide interpreting services.

The offer also increased the starting pay, gave a boost to relocation and repatriation expenses, extra parental leave, ceremonial leave flexibility to non-First Nations employees, and a $7000 a year bonus to Council Services Managers.

However this was rejected by two-thirds of staff, with 140 of the 204 union members knocking back the offer.

Unions NT secretary Erina Early. Picture: Floss Adams

UWU NT secretary Erina Early said the four per cent pay boosts were not in line with workers’ expectations, and the offer ignored priority claims requested on behalf of bush workers.

“They’ve got a very angry Yolngu workforce, who is not happy with them, and the CEO is completely ignoring his staff,” she said.

“When he’s meant to be about Aboriginal empowerment … and giving and Aboriginal voice to his workforce — it is all tokenistic.

In letters obtained by this publication the EARC chief executive Dale Keehne told Ms Early there was only a “remote possibility” of reaching an agreement given the “substantial gap” between the council’s final offer and the workers’ demands.

“We made clear at the final negotiation meeting that we would not be improving our offer and that is still the case,” Mr Keehne wrote in September.

“I maintain my position that there is little point in having further meetings unless there is a significant change in the position of the union and the employee appointed bargaining representatives.

“The good faith bargaining requirements do not require the parties to the negotiations to reach agreement.”

East Arnhem Regional Council chief executive Dale Keehne adding his handprint to the council's Midawarr banner with Council staff in Nhulunbuy. Picture: Facebook

Ms Early has alleged the council’s actions were “capricious, unfair and undermines collective bargaining”, which Mr Keehne rejected.

When contacted, Acting Chief Executive Divyan Ahimaz said the negotiation process was still ongoing.

“At this stage, I am unable to confirm any specific details,” Mr Ahimaz said.

“EARC remains committed to working through the appropriate channels and will provide further updates when appropriate.”

In his letter, Mr Keehne said he was concerned about delays to pay increases for staff due to the pay standoff.

“I consider this particularly important given the cost of living pressure currently being experienced by our employees,” he said.

East Arnhem Regional Council chief executive Dale Keehne. Picture: Facebook

In September the UWU made a bargaining order application to the Fair Work Commission seeking two more meetings with the council leaders, however Ms Early said so far the meeting had been similarly unsuccessful.

She said the EARC workforce had pushed for the union to proceed with a protected action ballot through the Fair Work Commission.

Ms Early said this could result in job walk-offs, services not being provided, people writing on the council vehicles and discussing with their community how they are “being treated and undervalued”.

“We’ve told them that we will be doing protected industrial action, and their response is ‘they don’t care’,” she said.

Originally published as East Arnhem Regional Council workers considering strike action against employers over pay fight