Hundreds of NT Government workers are expected to take joint action today, in protest of the NT Government’s ongoing commitment to freezing the wages of public sector workers across the Territory.

United Workers Union (UWU) members will be joined by other public sector unions demanding Chief Minister Natasha Fyles returns power to workers to determine their own wages through bargaining.

UWU NT Secretary Erina Early said if the Chief Minister continued to ignore the pleas of workers, then she could expect continued unrest and disruption within the public service.

“NT workers are only going to get angrier the longer Chief Minister Fyles continues to dismiss the workers’ claims,” Ms Early said.

“The workers attending today are the ones who showed up at the height of the pandemic and continue to show up in the face of unsafe staffing levels.

“Everyday we hear of short staffing in our schools, in our hospitals, in our prisons, everywhere. Is it any surprise workers are leaving frontline and essential service industries when they keep having to endure a pay cut while the cost of everything is sky rocketing?

“It’s time for the Government to accept the failure of policy and lose the freeze today.”

Correctional officers will be taking a protected 12-hour work stoppage, while teachers will take a full day stoppage. They will be joined by firefighters, nurses, Power and Water workers, T Gen workers, Aboriginal Health Practitioners and various other public sector workplaces who will attend the simultaneous rallies throughout the day.

ENDS 

Comment Contact: Erina Early: 0400 030 834, [email protected]

UWU Media Contact: 1300 898 633, [email protected]