1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,680 Speaker 1: It is just after ten twenty now. A little bit 2 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: earlier in the week, we did speak about the situation 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 1: with the public service. Well what was being called a bonus. 4 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: You would have heard us talking about this as well 5 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: this morning during the week that was, and we know 6 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: that it's being reported today in the paper that two 7 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: unions have accused the Northern Territory government of trying to 8 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:22,479 Speaker 1: bribe public servants with a ten thousand dollars bonus in 9 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: exchange four or four year pay freeze. Now joining me 10 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: on the line right now is Kay Densley from the 11 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: CBSU Good morning to UK. 12 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie, Thanks so much. 13 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: For your time again this week. K I know that 14 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: it is being reported today that well, the governments the 15 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: unions i should say, or two of the unions have 16 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: essentially said that it's a case of the Northern Territory 17 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: government trying to bribe public servants with this bonus. Kay, 18 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: what are your members telling you, Well, they're telling. 19 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 2: Us that they would like to accumulate these payroas and 20 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 2: not a bonus. They understand that the bonus comes out 21 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 2: of their agency budgets, the existing budgets. So I did 22 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 2: hear an earlier conversation with when you had the group 23 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 2: of people there about that. But we haven't got any 24 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 2: detail about any additional funding coming in, so they've been 25 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 2: quite clear. We did a quick call about it. You know, 26 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 2: over eighty percent of members said that they would prefer 27 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 2: accumulative payro rather than the bonus situation. 28 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, because the Minister for Public Employment, Paul Kirby or 29 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: as you said, he was on the show a bit 30 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: earlier this morning and we did talk about it, discussed it, 31 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 1: and there were those questions about, you know, if there 32 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: are if they're employees that are being sort of lost 33 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: from various departments, they're going to be replaced, And then 34 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: he did say that if you if they were needing 35 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: to replace, you know, needing to replace different members of 36 00:01:56,240 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: those departments, that there may be a ditional funding provided. 37 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: It all sort of seemed a bit confusing to me. 38 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 2: Kay, It sounds a bit confusing to me too, and 39 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 2: certainly has been any detail like that that has been 40 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,119 Speaker 2: told to us. Our members are also telling us they're 41 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 2: feeling pretty insulted about this. There's three agreements now that 42 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 2: have been voted down pretty overwhelmingly, and instead of going 43 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 2: back to the bargaining table. They've decided to just up 44 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 2: the bonus of the temptation before Christmas and say oh, 45 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 2: look here the pile of money. Yes or else. Yeah, 46 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 2: we're going to have to sit down with the unions. 47 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 2: I think what's the words to use and go agency 48 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 2: by agency about what jobs will be cut. So, you know, 49 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 2: pretty rude statement I think by the Chief Minister. 50 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: Okay, where do you reckon this is going to land? 51 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: Because as you've pointed out there, they're obviously hoping to 52 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: try and sort this before Christmas. It doesn't sound as 53 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 1: though the unions and I know that you are just 54 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: one union. There's plenty of others here in the territory 55 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: as well, but you know where this is going to 56 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: land from your perspective and the talks that you've had 57 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: with the other unions at this point. 58 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 2: Well, all the unions or all their members are telling 59 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 2: them that, you know, if they don't like the bonus deal. 60 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 2: And we just actually got from the Chief Minister, sorry, 61 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 2: from the Commissioner for Public Employment that the act what's 62 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 2: called the access period, so they have to put the 63 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 2: agreement out for seven days, so that will start on Monday, 64 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 2: so the votes will actually open Monday week and it's 65 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 2: really up to members and the public service to choose 66 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 2: whether or not they vote yes or no. 67 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: To take this on. 68 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 2: Otherwise we'll be back at the bargaining table hopefully next 69 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 2: next year. 70 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: Okay, how do you think that these negotiations have been handled? 71 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 2: Well, oh, look at negotiations are going fine. And obviously 72 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 2: there's a number of things that we call out and 73 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 2: they called not agreed. So that's the that's the way 74 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 2: it goes. And we have been doing that for months 75 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 2: since March. So all that was fine until you know 76 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 2: then they just throwing this thousand dollars and uh, you 77 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 2: know that that doesn't accumulate and it's different than what 78 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 2: within the budget repair outcomes in the recommendations, So you know, 79 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,359 Speaker 2: rightly people said, well, no, that's not good enough. 80 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,039 Speaker 1: Just before I let you go, okay, what kind of 81 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 1: impact is it going to have in terms of you know, 82 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 1: this bonus that has been announced or proposed i'd say 83 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,279 Speaker 1: by the Chief Minister. What kind of impact is it 84 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: going to have on the various departments if they're having 85 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: to find that money from within the budgets, is it 86 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: going to work as easily as what the government seems 87 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: to think it is in the sense that they're saying, 88 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: you know, staff are leaving, so we'll be able to 89 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 1: find the money from where those staff have left. 90 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 2: A well, I think you know, agents who are going 91 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 2: to have to think about their budget and what services 92 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 2: they provide, certainly because it will reduce their budget their 93 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:09,280 Speaker 2: existing budget. I think, you know, considering that the bonus 94 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 2: is taxable, I think it's a it's a big boon 95 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 2: for the tax office. So you can imagine do the 96 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 2: sums about how much tax people are going to pay 97 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,600 Speaker 2: on these lumps from bonuses if if it is voted up, 98 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 2: So you know, I think there will be an impact 99 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 2: agency so we'll have to think about, you know, what 100 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,159 Speaker 2: services they provide and how many stuff they need to 101 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:38,159 Speaker 2: do it. And yes, we'll see what happens. So it's 102 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 2: all up to members or the unions are asking their 103 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 2: members to vote, know, so let's see how it goes. 104 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, hey, just with that snap poll as well, that 105 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,040 Speaker 1: was I think you mentioned that earlier in the week too, 106 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 1: But it's happened now obviously, and what kind of info 107 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: is it gleaned for you? 108 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 2: So we there's pretty much in a day and a 109 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:02,920 Speaker 2: half we had over four hundred people do it, about 110 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,160 Speaker 2: twelve twelve point eight percent. I think it was said 111 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 2: that they would accept the bonuses. Everybody else said we 112 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 2: gave them a choice between what was in the Langolant 113 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 2: report one thousand dollars per year for four years or 114 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 2: something else So and there's something else where. People told us, 115 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 2: you know, two point five three percent two year agreement, 116 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 2: which was our original claim. And if the government was 117 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,560 Speaker 2: serious about this, they were really disgust with us about 118 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 2: a shorter agreement with a chum of his pay rise. 119 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 2: And then let's see where we are in the economy's 120 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 2: cycle there. 121 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: Wellky, keep us up to date. Thank you very much 122 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: for your time, and have a good weekend. No worries. 123 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:45,679 Speaker 2: Thank you guys.