Today the NT Gunner Government locked in a 0% wage offer in a bargaining meeting.
The four-year wage freeze from 2021-22 to 2024-25 would mean staff in the NTPS at a median salary of $78,953 (based on publicly available figures) would be $16,238 overall or $3,935 per annum worse off than if they continued with a 2.5% pay increase.
The Gunner Government's public sector bargaining, and wage policy is failing workers and will slow post pandemic growth.
This is not just bad for NT public service employees who have already gone above and beyond during the pandemic to ensure services and safety for Territorians, it's bad for the economy and workers everywhere, as even the Reserve Bank Governor has recognised.
Data from NT Treasury suggests that every $1 in public sector wages spent equals $1.50 in wages across the wider economy. At a time when the Territory needs to rebuild, the Government is being enormously short-sighted.
The Gunner Government's short-sighted and arrogant approach to the public sector is a real detriment to our Territory economy.
CPSU members are calling on the Gunner Government to come to the table with a wage offer that addresses the rising cost of living.
QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO CPSU NOTHERN TERRITORY REGIONAL SECRETARY KAY DENSLEY:
'It beggars belief that Chief Minister Gunner says he wants the economy to bounce back but he hampers that recovery by keeping wage growth down. There are families around the Territory right now who are struggling with an ever-increasing cost of living, and wages are just not keeping up.
"If we don't want families to leave the Territory, we need to make sure they can pay their bills and pay freezes won't do that."
"The Territory economy and local business will lose millions of dollars with employees having to rein in their spending as housing, power and food costs continue to soar."
"The Gunner Government are not living its values and are leaving Territory families behind. The only winner in this decision is Michael Gunner's ego, not workers, not families and most definitely not our economy. Its time for the government to put our community first and come back to the table with a reasonable offer."
