Gunner reigns in department heads demanding they do not pay unvaxxed employees beyond 48-hour grace period

Public servants who haven’t provided their vaccination status by Friday will be stood down on full pay, as the government scrambles to enforce its strict mandate within its ranks.

PUBLIC servants who haven’t provided their vaccination status by Friday will be stood down on full pay, as the government scrambles to enforce its strict mandate within its ranks.

In a letter seen by the NT News, NT Health boss Dr Frank Daly advised unvaccinated employees they will continue to receive their full taxpayer-funded salary after the cut-off date for the Territory’s vaccination mandate for an unspecified period of time, flying in the face of comments made by the health minister.

And unions representing public servants also believed the process of terminating the employment of unvaccinated public servants could take up until Christmas.

But Chief Minister Michael Gunner was having none of it.

He told the NT News public servants without an exemption who refuse to get the jab will not be afforded any flexibility.

“Disciplinary action will commence immediately for the unvaccinated,” he said.

“Not one single unvaccinated public servant will get one extra cent beyond what we are legally compelled to pay them”.

But after contacting Mr Gunner’s office about the letter, the NT News was told his department was contacting chief executives of all government agencies on Friday evening to direct them not to pay their unvaxxed employees beyond a 48-hour grace period.

“If your information is not entered and verified by midnight on Friday, November 12, 2021 you are directed not to attend your workplace on and from Saturday, November 13, 2021,” Dr Daly wrote to staff on November 10.

“You will be stood down from duties on full pay until such time as your vaccination status is entered and verified, or I decide to take action in relation to your employment under the Public Sector Employment and Management Act 1993 (the Act).”

The NT government is scrambling to enforce its strict vaccination mandate within its ranks.

Dr Daly did not provide a date he would take further action against non-compliant employees nor did he guarantee he will take any action at all against the dozens of NT Health staff suspected of refusing the jab.

“If you remain non-compliant with the CHO directions and I decide to take action in respect to your employment under the Act I will write to you and outline my intentions,” Dr Daly said.

Meanwhile, Community and Public Sector Union regional director Kay Densely said she was under the impression the unspecified paid grace period had been afforded to all the Territory’s public servants declining the vax, and it could take until “just before Christmas” before the process is complete.

Ms Densely said staff who get stood down from Saturday would still have to get a letter from their boss saying whether they were in breach of discipline or unable to fulfil their duties.

“Then, because of the process under agreements, they’ll have to then give them time to respond,” she said.

The revelation flies in the face of Health Minister Natasha Fyles’ promise made in multiple media appearances, claiming public servants who withheld their vaccination status would be stood down and not receive a dime from the government.

“If someone does not comply and blatantly does not want to comply, they won’t be paid,” Ms Fyles told Mix 104.9 on Friday.

“They may have leave entitlements that they can take, and they may choose to take those for some weeks before they come to a final resolution.”

The private sector – in particular small business – has in recent weeks aired growing frustrations over a perceived lack of government support in implementing the mandatory vaccine program.

Upon seeing the letter, the CLP’s Shadow Health Minister Bill Yan said it was “just another example of the Gunner government deceiving the public”.

“The private sector don’t have this kind of certainty, in fact Territory businesses have been given no support to implement Michael Gunner’s mandatory vaccine program.”

Originally published as Gunner reigns in department heads demanding they do not pay unvaxxed employees beyond 48-hour grace period