1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: The union representing Public Servants says that it's taking the 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: Northern Territory government to the Fair Work Commission a meet 3 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: confusion over a promised pay rise. Now joining me on 4 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: the line to tell us a little bit more about 5 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: the situation is the CPSU's regional secretary David Vilagas. Good 6 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 1: morning to you, David. 7 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 2: Good morning, Thanks for having me. 8 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:21,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, thanks so much for your time. David, tell us 9 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: what is the situation right now? 10 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 2: So the situation is that the Northern Territory Public Service 11 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:34,639 Speaker 2: promised the pay rise in October last year and it's 12 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 2: now mate, and they have not seen those pay increases. 13 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 2: We have exhausted every avenue to get the answers that 14 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 2: our members are after and as a result we've had 15 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 2: to go to the Spare Work Commission. 16 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 1: Now tell me, because like a lot of people listening 17 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 1: this morning are going to be thinking to themselves, hang on, 18 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: you know, what exactly was the pay rise? I remember 19 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: hearing about the bonus. I remember hearing about the pay 20 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: rises with all the different public servants, you know, the police, 21 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: the fires, etc. So which public servants is it exactly 22 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: and and what pay rise? 23 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 2: So the general agreement covers the majority of public servants 24 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 2: here in the Northern Territory. It was signed off under 25 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 2: the Gunner government and is in place until twenty twenty five. Right, 26 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 2: so there was a wage free up until October. The 27 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 2: government introduced a new wages policy in October to say 28 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 2: that if you're on an existing agreement like the General EA, 29 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 2: then you should receive two percent or two thousand dollars 30 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 2: pay increase, whichever is greater. Right. And so since that 31 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 2: time we have been in discussions with multiple representatives from 32 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 2: government trying to get this pay increase through and now 33 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 2: we're find ourselves in the position where we've had to 34 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 2: go to the Commission to enforce it. 35 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: Now, like where to from here? Obviously the Commission, you've 36 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: gone to the Commission, have they stepped in? What have 37 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: they directed the Northern Territory Government or the Minister to 38 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: do at this point in time, if anything. 39 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:21,239 Speaker 2: So we attended the Commission on the fourth of May. 40 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 2: At the Commission, quite frankly, the Fair Work Commission was 41 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 2: scathing of how the government had handled the pay increase 42 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 2: up until this point, and they've demanded that this matter 43 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 2: be addressed, that the pay increases be sorted by the 44 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 2: end of this month. If not the public the Commission 45 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 2: of a Public Employment will be required to answer directly 46 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 2: to the Fair Work Commission, and they have also indicated 47 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 2: that they will summon the Chief Minister to explain why 48 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 2: this has taken so long. This need be It's a. 49 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: Pretty unbelievable situation to be and I mean, look what 50 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: has the has the Chief Minister's response pate have you 51 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: have you heard or the Minister for Public Employment. 52 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 2: Well, this is part of the reason why we have 53 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 2: had to go to Fair Work to get the answers. 54 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 2: I mean, the things that our members are asking for 55 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 2: are painfully reasonable, right, they want to know why it's 56 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 2: taking so long, and they just want what was promised 57 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 2: to them. Most of the discussions that we had with 58 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 2: government were earlier on were in We're taking place late 59 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 2: last year, and part of the reason why we had 60 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 2: to escalate to a dispute and then to Fair Work 61 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 2: was because the information had essentially ground to a halt. 62 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: Well, honestly, they just can't seem to set a foot 63 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: right at this point in time. I mean, most people 64 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: would have assumed that this that this wage increase had 65 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: gone through. I'm quite surprised to hear that it hasn't. 66 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely, so I've only stept into the role fairly recently. 67 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 2: I've slept them to the role of the week that 68 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 2: the wage right was announced. So I think we're all 69 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 2: quite surprised. I mean, we still don't get us wrong. 70 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 2: We welcome the fact that the wage policy was changed, 71 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 2: and that was as a direct result of the efforts 72 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 2: of our members campaigning for years, and we're glad that 73 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:18,359 Speaker 2: the government listens. All we want is for them to 74 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 2: deliver what they promise. 75 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 1: So they've gotten till the end of these months. 76 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 2: Is what the Commission has indicated that otherwise the Commissioner 77 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 2: for Public Employment and potential potentially even the Chief Minister 78 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 2: will be required to answer directly to the Commission. 79 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: Well, David, do keep in contact and let us know 80 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: how things progress. Hopefully this has resolved sooner rather than later. 81 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 2: I agree. 82 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 1: Thank you, thank you, thanks so much for your time.