Majority of Power and Water, Jacana workers vote to reject government pay freeze

Workers at two major government-owned corporations have voted overwhelmingly to reject a pay freeze being pursued by Treasurer Michael Gunner.

ENERGY workers at two government-owned corporations have overwhelmingly rejected a proposed four-year pay freeze.

A whopping 86 per cent of Power and Water Corporation’s workforce voted no on the enterprise bargaining agreement put forward by the NT government, while 70 per cent of Jacana Energy’s staff also voted it down.

The results are the latest repudiation of the government’s planned pay freeze on public sector workers.

Electrical Trades Union NT organiser Dave ‘Strawbs’ Hayes said he was happy workers had rejected the government, which based its pay freeze on the Langoulant report released in 2018.

“The message is loud and clear for the Gunner government that a four year wage freeze is not okay and Territorians deserve better,” Mr Hayes said.

“They’re relying on a report that was done in 2018, and since then a lot has happened in the world.”

Chief Minister Michael Gunner has budgeted for a pay freeze in this year’s budget. Picture Glenn Campbell

Inflation in Darwin hit six per cent, according to the latest State of the States report, putting pressure on family budgets.

Mr Hayes said freezing wages would drive workers to take up positions interstate.

“Our members will be impacted in a big way with the cost of living in Darwin continually increasing,” he said.

“People will have to choose whether they continue in the Territory. There’s a lot of work in other states.

“We will be requesting to get back to the table to work through the issues that remain and get a good deal for our members.”

Despite the set back, Chief Minister and Treasurer Michael Gunner said he would not back down on the wage freeze and warned higher wages would cost jobs.

Unions rallied to show their opposition towards the NT Government's plan to put in place a four-year pay freeze. Picture: Judith Aisthorpe

“Our bargaining policy has not changed,” Mr Gunner said.

“I cannot support the unions’ demand we massively cut the number of public servants – this is the unavoidable consequence of what they are campaigning for.

“Cuts will kill the comeback.”

Community and Public Sector Union NT secretary Kay Densley welcomed the vote against the freeze.

“NT workers have seen through Mr Gunner’s sneaky words and media tricks by returning strong no votes,” Ms Densley said.

“The NT public sector deserve a fair pay rise to keep up with rising costs in the Territory.”

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Originally published as Majority of Power and Water, Jacana workers vote to reject government pay freeze