Northern Territory teachers receive first pay rise since pandemic pay freeze

After months of intense negotiations and industrial action, Territory public school teachers will finally get a pay rise. Find out how much they’ll get.

Northern Territory public school teachers will receive their first pay rise since the pandemic after a new enterprise bargaining agreement was finalised on Monday afternoon.

The agreement, which passed with a 68 per cent vote, brings to an end a months-long standoff between the government and union.

Under the agreement, teachers will receive a three per cent pay rise per year, backdated to October 2021 when their last EBA expired.

The union has been locked in tense negotiations with the government since former chief minister Michael Gunner introduced a pay freeze during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Michelle Ayres addresses the crowd during the teacher strike against a four-year-pay freeze.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles ended the pay freeze in August, introducing a two per cent a year pay rise policy.

The union traded up to the pay rise by agreeing to forgo three days of Christmas leave built into previous agreements.

Australian Education Union NT branch president Michelle Ayres welcomed the agreement after an “intense few months” of negotiations.

Unions NT secretaries Erina Early, Cath Hatcher, Michelle Ayres and Kay Densley celebrate the end of the wage freeze in August. Picture: Floss Adams.

“At this point teachers have been without a pay rise for almost 18 months,” Ms Ayres said.

However, she said the union had hoped for a pay rise in line with rising cost of living pressures.

“The AEU has always thought this offer could still contain more for teachers,” Ms Ayres said.

“It’s still going to leave teachers a little stretched when it comes to the current changes to cost of living and it would have been great to see some kind of cost of living bonus.”

She said teacher workload was still an issue the union would work to address in the next agreement.

“Teachers are burnt out, overworked and this agreement doesn’t contain as much as we would have liked to see as far as tangible changes to teacher workloads.

“Cost of living is out of control at the moment and teacher workloads are out of control at the moment.”

Ms Ayres hoped the increase to teacher salaries would attract more teachers to the Territory and encourage others to stay.

Employment Minister Paul Kirby thanked teachers for their “tremendous” work in Territory schools and the union’s faith during negotiations.

“This offer recognises this work and we’re pleased it’s been accepted,” Mr Kirby said.

“It also recognises the position of the Territory budget which must be managed carefully.”

The pay rise is expected to be reflected by February 2023.

The government has an additional 10 EBAs to negotiate in 2023 including with the police, corrections officers and nurse unions.

Originally published as Northern Territory teachers receive first pay rise since pandemic pay freeze