1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,080
Speaker 1: Now we know that hundreds of Northern Territory government employees,

2
00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:07,560
Speaker 1: including teachers, correctional officers, firefighters and nurses, walked off the

3
00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:11,840
Speaker 1: job last week protesting against the four year wage Freese. Now,

4
00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:14,840
Speaker 1: it came after an eleventh hour offer for teachers and

5
00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:19,240
Speaker 1: also those correctional officers, which were both rejected. Union's NTS

6
00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:22,720
Speaker 1: David Hayes joins me on the line right now. He's

7
00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,000
Speaker 1: also known as Strawbes. Good morning to you.

8
00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:26,920
Speaker 2: Strawbs, Good morning Cotie.

9
00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:29,800
Speaker 1: Has there been any developments when it comes to those

10
00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:33,680
Speaker 1: EBA negotiations, I mean for the teachers and the corrections

11
00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:35,800
Speaker 1: officers at this point. No.

12
00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,280
Speaker 2: My understanding is the offer that was put forward and

13
00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,720
Speaker 2: rejected last week is the offer that's still on the table,

14
00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:44,159
Speaker 2: and that will be going out to vote for the

15
00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,839
Speaker 2: teachers and corrections are still waiting to hear if it's

16
00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:47,720
Speaker 2: going to go out for them.

17
00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:51,960
Speaker 1: From your perspective obviously, not only from the ETU, but

18
00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:57,320
Speaker 1: also as the president of Union's NT, how are both

19
00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,760
Speaker 1: corrections and teachers feeling about that offer? And you know,

20
00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:02,240
Speaker 1: how do you think that vote's going to go?

21
00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,240
Speaker 2: Look, Katie, I think it's pretty clear that Corrections and

22
00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:09,080
Speaker 2: the teachers are not going to accept the four year

23
00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,840
Speaker 2: wage free. They've shown that with the actions that have

24
00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,040
Speaker 2: been taken. Corrections have taken i think five days of

25
00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:17,800
Speaker 2: protected action now the teachers that are up to three

26
00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,080
Speaker 2: or four and they're getting out there in big numbers.

27
00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:23,320
Speaker 2: So the government needs to go back and look at

28
00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:27,240
Speaker 2: this wage's policy and make some changes and implement something

29
00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:31,600
Speaker 2: that will address the concerns of the different memberships of

30
00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:34,240
Speaker 2: those unions and all the unions public sector unions in

31
00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,280
Speaker 2: general in relation to you what we're facing in cost

32
00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:42,200
Speaker 2: of living, all those expenses that are growing, and that

33
00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:43,560
Speaker 2: needs to be looked that seriously.

34
00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:48,440
Speaker 1: Now, as I understand, it's not only corrections and teachers

35
00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:50,960
Speaker 1: that are going to be taking industrial action. Is it

36
00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,320
Speaker 1: correct that power and water employees are going to be next?

37
00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:57,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, We've got notices in to take actions next week.

38
00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,600
Speaker 2: So there's currently ten agencies are still bargaining Codie, so

39
00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:07,120
Speaker 2: fire is, corrections, teaches, TGen power, water, nurses, dentists, police,

40
00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,040
Speaker 2: salaried medical offices and the Aboriginal health practitioners. So all

41
00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:15,880
Speaker 2: those agreements are outstanding. There's a firm commitment from the

42
00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,040
Speaker 2: delegates and the bargaining teams in those processes that we

43
00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:22,080
Speaker 2: won't accept the wage fruit and we're prepared to negotiate

44
00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,240
Speaker 2: some outcomes that work around that.

45
00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,120
Speaker 1: So Storb's with next week. You said that there have

46
00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,480
Speaker 1: been notices for next week, So who are we expecting

47
00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:32,880
Speaker 1: to strike next week?

48
00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:37,200
Speaker 2: So there's definitely teachers involve, Territory Generation and power and

49
00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,080
Speaker 2: Water have all got notices in for next Wednesday. And

50
00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,200
Speaker 2: where those where those notices are used is still to

51
00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,600
Speaker 2: be decided by the delegates themselves.

52
00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:47,760
Speaker 1: Yeah. Right, but we could end up in a situation

53
00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,120
Speaker 1: next week where it's teachers, territory generation, and power and

54
00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,519
Speaker 1: water staff all going on strike.

55
00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:58,040
Speaker 2: That's correct, CODYE. And this is you know, this is

56
00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:00,680
Speaker 2: not taken lightly by us, but we're been forced in

57
00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,480
Speaker 2: or a position after bargaining for some of us for

58
00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,000
Speaker 2: over eighteen months, where there have been opportunities to achieve

59
00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:10,600
Speaker 2: we believe to achieve outcomes and they've been they haven't

60
00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:13,880
Speaker 2: been recognized by the government or the OCPE, And this

61
00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:17,000
Speaker 2: is where we're at. We need to we need to

62
00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:19,040
Speaker 2: push harder and try and get an outcome and get

63
00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:21,680
Speaker 2: people to the table and have serious discussions because at

64
00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:24,720
Speaker 2: the moment, the decision makers are just not at the table.

65
00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,079
Speaker 1: How many like how many staff are we talking here

66
00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:32,079
Speaker 1: from the likes of power and water and territory generation

67
00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:36,280
Speaker 1: and what impact will that have on the operations of

68
00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:38,200
Speaker 1: our electricity supply.

69
00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,080
Speaker 2: So as part of the actions we take, obviously public

70
00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:46,920
Speaker 2: safety is a priority, so we can't allow any outages

71
00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,480
Speaker 2: or things like that that would affect any public safety.

72
00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,000
Speaker 2: But the general works, the works that are done on

73
00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:55,520
Speaker 2: a day to day basis, there'd be potentially hundreds of

74
00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:58,320
Speaker 2: workers that are at the gate and those works would

75
00:03:58,320 --> 00:03:58,760
Speaker 2: all stop.

76
00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,400
Speaker 1: Well, I mean, the thing is this is getting sort

77
00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:05,080
Speaker 1: of more and more disruptive, which I guess is the aim,

78
00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:07,760
Speaker 1: you know, from from the unions in an effort to

79
00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,520
Speaker 1: get to get the government to listen storms. From what

80
00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:15,200
Speaker 1: I could see on Thursday last week outside of Parliament House,

81
00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,560
Speaker 1: you know, you guys were pierced off, to put it

82
00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,680
Speaker 1: really bluntly, absolutely.

83
00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:23,159
Speaker 2: Katie, And look, I was down at Alice Springs for

84
00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,840
Speaker 2: the rally down there and it was absolutely pouring rain,

85
00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:28,159
Speaker 2: It was freezing cold, and there would have been over

86
00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:31,560
Speaker 2: two hundred workers out for the morning, you know, at

87
00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,120
Speaker 2: that rally on that day. And it's not just It's

88
00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,200
Speaker 2: not just about the wage freeze. It's about resourcing in

89
00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:40,679
Speaker 2: the different sectors. It's about the way people are being treated.

90
00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:43,640
Speaker 2: There's a lot more to this than just the money.

91
00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:47,719
Speaker 2: You're looking corrections, they're looking for safety at work, the teachers,

92
00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,640
Speaker 2: the numbers in their schools. For our guys. We've got

93
00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,520
Speaker 2: guys on call out in the regions, you know, almost

94
00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:55,680
Speaker 2: every week of the year. The government needs to look

95
00:04:55,720 --> 00:05:01,159
Speaker 2: at resourcing all these agencies properly, and they're the big issues.

96
00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,080
Speaker 2: There's part of the big issues that need to be addressed.

97
00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,640
Speaker 2: It's not just about the money. And at this point

98
00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:09,520
Speaker 2: in time, they're giving us no guarantees that they will

99
00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,919
Speaker 2: address that in a manner that actually provides outcomes. We

100
00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:15,440
Speaker 2: don't need more reports than things that get done. I'm

101
00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:19,320
Speaker 2: sitting people's desks. We need actual action done so ensure

102
00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,120
Speaker 2: that people's safety at work and people are adequately resourced

103
00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:23,440
Speaker 2: to form their jobs.

104
00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:24,960
Speaker 1: Well. Look, I know that there will be a lot

105
00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,480
Speaker 1: of people listening who are supportive of what's being done here,

106
00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:30,479
Speaker 1: and certainly a lot of you know a lot of

107
00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,800
Speaker 1: public servants that will be supportive as well and trying

108
00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:36,159
Speaker 1: their best to try to make sure that their wages

109
00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,160
Speaker 1: do go up. On the other hand, there's certainly going

110
00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:42,520
Speaker 1: to be people in the private sector listening, particularly probably parents,

111
00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,320
Speaker 1: who are maybe thinking to themselves, Look, I'm supportive of

112
00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,800
Speaker 1: our teachers are getting a wage increase and getting better conditions,

113
00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,479
Speaker 1: but this is now becoming quite disruptive on my children.

114
00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,960
Speaker 1: I mean, what is your message to those Territorians who

115
00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:59,599
Speaker 1: are maybe thinking to themselves, you know, come on, the

116
00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:01,919
Speaker 1: Union have taken this a bit too far now.

117
00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:05,039
Speaker 2: Well it ask those people to stick with us. I'd

118
00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,760
Speaker 2: ask those people to contact their local members and give

119
00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,159
Speaker 2: them that message because they're the government of the people

120
00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:12,440
Speaker 2: that we need to get to the table. This is

121
00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:15,360
Speaker 2: for the long term good of the territory. We say

122
00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:18,320
Speaker 2: a wage freeze is going to be detrimental in the

123
00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,599
Speaker 2: long term. We need to attract and retain people here.

124
00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:24,560
Speaker 2: The territory is probably one of the most arguably one

125
00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,440
Speaker 2: of the most challenging places to live and work in Australia.

126
00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:30,760
Speaker 2: The amount of work that's going on in the rest

127
00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,039
Speaker 2: of Australia at this point in time, that's going to

128
00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,200
Speaker 2: be a challenge in itself keeping people here. So I'd

129
00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:37,799
Speaker 2: ask those people to stick with us. Because we're looking

130
00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:41,000
Speaker 2: for the long term benefits for the Northern territory. The

131
00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,200
Speaker 2: government talk about a forty billion dollar economy by twenty thirty.

132
00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:48,480
Speaker 2: How are we going to implement that If a public

133
00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:51,480
Speaker 2: service isn't here to do all the enable and infrastructure,

134
00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,400
Speaker 2: you know, housing approvals, all those things. If we haven't

135
00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,920
Speaker 2: got that public sector here to do the backbone of

136
00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,800
Speaker 2: all the work through long term is going to be

137
00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,840
Speaker 2: effected in a negative way. So we're looking long term

138
00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:07,440
Speaker 2: with this. It's not just about today or tomorrow. It's

139
00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:09,200
Speaker 2: about long term territory benefits.

140
00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,640
Speaker 1: Straws. Where do they find the money, because let's be honest,

141
00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,760
Speaker 1: the government's broke CADI.

142
00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:19,160
Speaker 2: We understand that there's challenges economically, but you know, we

143
00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:21,240
Speaker 2: live in this you know, we live in a society,

144
00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:23,720
Speaker 2: a community, not an economy, and if the government doesn't

145
00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:27,440
Speaker 2: look after people, the people can't look after the economy.

146
00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:29,720
Speaker 2: They're basing a lot of this on a Langolant report

147
00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:31,920
Speaker 2: that was done in two thousand and eighteen. There's a

148
00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:33,800
Speaker 2: lot that's happened in the world since then. They've had

149
00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:37,520
Speaker 2: opportunities to change and make decisions, and they're still sitting

150
00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,800
Speaker 2: on their hands basing their argument on a report that

151
00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:44,160
Speaker 2: was done in two thousand and eighteen. We understand these challenges,

152
00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:47,320
Speaker 2: but we believe there's also a lot of efficiencies that

153
00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:49,960
Speaker 2: can be gained in the public sector. The amount of

154
00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,480
Speaker 2: work that is our source to in a state, contractors

155
00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:54,840
Speaker 2: and consultants, all that needs to be looked at, and

156
00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:59,040
Speaker 2: there's absolute benefits for the territory if this public sector

157
00:07:59,080 --> 00:07:59,960
Speaker 2: is running the right way.

158
00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,480
Speaker 1: That's not the first time that I've heard that that

159
00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:07,240
Speaker 1: we're using interstate consultants and workers for various different things,

160
00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:09,640
Speaker 1: Like how prevalent do you think that that actually is?

161
00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:12,600
Speaker 2: Oh, it's big, Katie. I'll give you just a quick

162
00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:16,280
Speaker 2: example of metering installations of pound water. They've got twenty

163
00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,320
Speaker 2: five thousands to do in the next couple of years.

164
00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:20,360
Speaker 2: They want to contract it out to in a straight

165
00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:23,560
Speaker 2: contractor well I just employ fifteen Sparki's in the NT.

166
00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,520
Speaker 2: You know, there's some simple stuff that can be done

167
00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,280
Speaker 2: which will bring benefits back to the Northern Territory, which

168
00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:32,280
Speaker 2: will create efficiencies and save money, and that money will

169
00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:34,679
Speaker 2: stay in the Northern Territory and not heading a state.

170
00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:36,959
Speaker 2: Some of those open their eyes and start having a

171
00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:39,600
Speaker 2: good look at this stuff, Katie, and this wage freeze

172
00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:40,880
Speaker 2: is just one part of it.

173
00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,560
Speaker 1: I mean, what is the message for the government today

174
00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:45,560
Speaker 1: as well? Because I know that it was you know,

175
00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:48,840
Speaker 1: it was pretty clear to me last Thursday from the

176
00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:52,080
Speaker 1: vision that i'd seen on nine News Darwin. You know

177
00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,479
Speaker 1: that people are really fed up about this wage freeze.

178
00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:59,880
Speaker 2: Well, Katie, the message is the public sector unions will

179
00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:04,440
Speaker 2: continue the battle on, will continue to negotiate. It's clear

180
00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:06,640
Speaker 2: we're not going to asset the wage free and we

181
00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,760
Speaker 2: need to look at a real outcome for Northern Territory

182
00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,840
Speaker 2: public sector workers. If you look at, for example, and

183
00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:15,400
Speaker 2: orderly in a hospital who's on fifty two grand a year,

184
00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:17,439
Speaker 2: they're going to be on fifty two grand a year

185
00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:20,280
Speaker 2: in four years time. How they continue to maintain a

186
00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,720
Speaker 2: mortgage or fuel their cars and things like that over

187
00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,199
Speaker 2: that length of time on that wage is going to

188
00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:28,319
Speaker 2: be questionable. So the government needs to have a good

189
00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:30,280
Speaker 2: look at it. They need to sit down with us.

190
00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:33,160
Speaker 2: We've given offers of different ways to do it, sit down,

191
00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,840
Speaker 2: have a three or four days in a room with Treasury,

192
00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:37,800
Speaker 2: the whole lot of them, and work a way forward

193
00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:40,400
Speaker 2: that those offers haven't been taken up so they need

194
00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:42,360
Speaker 2: We're not going to stop. We're going to continue to

195
00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,920
Speaker 2: pursue to get the decent outcomes in these agreements in

196
00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:51,640
Speaker 2: relation and resourcing wages and try and guarantee a good

197
00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:54,560
Speaker 2: future for the Northern Territory and its workers and keep

198
00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,560
Speaker 2: people here who can do the jobs we need done.

199
00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:58,840
Speaker 1: Hey, before I let you go, I understand that there

200
00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:01,199
Speaker 1: are also childcare work because that are walking off the

201
00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:03,960
Speaker 1: job today nationally. Do you know if we've got many

202
00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:05,960
Speaker 1: walking off the job here in the Northern Territory.

203
00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:09,880
Speaker 2: Yes, serious, Katie, there's quite a number of childcare centers

204
00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:11,800
Speaker 2: that will walk off the job today and that's been

205
00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:14,200
Speaker 2: I think it's probably you could say that's been a

206
00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:16,840
Speaker 2: ten year battle trying to get them recognized for the

207
00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:19,440
Speaker 2: skills that they have. You know, they all hold search

208
00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:26,360
Speaker 2: trees similar to a trade base recognition of their responsibilities

209
00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:28,760
Speaker 2: and they are some of the lowest plaid workers in

210
00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:30,439
Speaker 2: Australia who look after our kids.

211
00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:33,439
Speaker 1: Yeah, it is some. I know, it's such a tough job.

212
00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:36,360
Speaker 1: It's such an important job that those childcare workers do.

213
00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:37,960
Speaker 1: So we'll make sure that we catch up with one

214
00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,880
Speaker 1: of those childcare workers a little bit later this morning, Strops,

215
00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,839
Speaker 1: just finally before I let you go. So obviously next

216
00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:48,240
Speaker 1: week there is going to be further industrial action. You're

217
00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,720
Speaker 1: anticipating that there is going to be hundreds of teachers,

218
00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:55,400
Speaker 1: power and water stuff and also territory generation stuff that

219
00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:57,520
Speaker 1: are going to be walking off the job next week.

220
00:10:57,559 --> 00:10:58,679
Speaker 1: Do we know what day.

221
00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:03,160
Speaker 2: With our notices that this stage you're in for Wednesday, Cody,

222
00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:05,520
Speaker 2: and how that plays out, We'll wait n see.

223
00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:08,520
Speaker 1: All right, well, we will no doubt hear more over

224
00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:12,520
Speaker 1: the coming days. David Hayes, thank you very much for

225
00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:13,400
Speaker 1: your time this morning.

226
00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:15,960
Speaker 2: Thanks for interested, Cody, thank you