The employer has now put a formal offer for a new renamed Northern Territory Educators Agreement. While we have reached in-principle agreement on a number of strengthened conditions, we are unsure that the dollar figures on offer are adequate to deal with cost-of-living pressures, nor does it offer significant enough parity to attract and retain teachers. The AEU is now seeking feedback from sub-branches before we provide our response.

Summary of enhanced conditions

• 6 months (instead of 12 months’) probation.
• Existing DoE commitment to honour AEU NT payroll deductions for membership written into Enterprise Agreement (EA).
• Requirement for reasons to be given for fixed term appointments.
• New employees to be paid if they have not accrued sufficient recreation leave to cover the end of year break.
• Full and half day rates for casual employees i.e. relief teachers
• Reduction from 195 to 180 days of relief teaching to count as having completed one year’s service.
• Parity of non-contact time for primary teachers, increasing to 5 hours and 20 minutes by 2026.
• A teacher’s contact time, non-contact time and other professional duties listed in the agreement. In effect, a strengthening of what is in the Teacher Responsibilities Guide and referenced in current EA.
• Reduction of Transition and Year 11/12 class sizes to an average of 25.
• Requirement for written agreements when class rolls exceed 27 students.
• Authority to teach conditions listed in the agreement.
• Inclusion of break times in the agreement.
• Homelands to be categorised as remote.
• Addition of homeland teacher and assistant teacher allowances.
• Clarification that HALTs (Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers) are not to be used as replacements for Senior Teacher roles.
• School based redeployment conditions being offered as TOIL (Time Off In Lieu) for 1 day to every 12 worked in a school.
• End of Half Semester travel/FOILS have been referred to a review in the first year of the EA, with the intention of clarifying rules around travel and activating unused conditions within the agreement. In effect, this will result in Department funded travel in and out of remote communities in addition to NTPS-wide FOIL arrangements.
• Retention payments of $500, $750 and $1000 for remote categories are rolled into the remote allowances for categories 1, 2 and 3.

 Wins

 Classification of classroom-based support

Our union has secured a review of current administrative officers (AOs) employed in classrooms. This review will investigate the creation of a classification structure for current SESOs and SESAs as well as other classroom-based support roles, included those currently employed by school councils.

This is a much-needed area of work that will go toward the creation of a para-professional class and recognise the skill and knowledge of people who are an essential service for many students and a key support for Classroom Teachers.

Assistant Teachers/Aboriginal Team Teachers

Current assistant teachers to have automatic pay progression moving through a 5-point pay scale. The current arrangement requires employees to earn certificates to move through the AT classification structure. A move to an automatic progression allows for recognition of cultural knowledge and expertise as ATs gain more experience.

Our union has also secured recognition for AT4s and AT5s who have earned a diploma. They will be reclassified into two new increments of AT6 and AT7. These changes mean significant pay increases for many employees.

Payment for relief

Where a teacher has to cover relief and does not receive their NCT over a two-week period, there is payment in recognition that a teacher has not had their non-contact time.  This is a significant enhancement to conditions and recognises teachers are performing above and beyond in light of the teacher shortage.

Parity for Primary teachers NCT

Over the next two years Primary teachers will gradually have their NCT increased, increasing by an hour from 2025 and a further hour in 2026 to reach 5 hours and 20 minutes, and parity with their middle and senior school counterparts.

While the AEU-NT welcome this significant enhancement, it goes without saying that 5 hours and 20 minutes is insufficient time for a teacher’s total planning, preparation and correction work. Though we welcome the enhancement, we are cognisant this will be difficult to achieve in regions like Alice Springs and Katherine that are suffering with insufficient number of teachers in their schools.

Class Sizes

Transition years and senior school classes (year 11 and 12) will see an average size of 25. No class will exceed 27. Furthermore, any roll that exceeds 27 must have an agreement in writing on how a teacher is to manage the larger role size. The Department will liaise with our union as effective enrolment funding is ended and we move to ensure we have the resourcing to deliver services we need.

Not yet agreed

Wages and Allowances

The employer has proposed a percentage increase of 4.3% in October 2024, 3.6% in January 2026 and 3.6% in January 2027. Due to the additional two-and-a-half months between the October 2024 and January 2026 pay rises, this works out to an average increase of 3.6% per annum across the life of the agreement.

To enhance the NT’s ability to attract graduate teachers, the employer has proposed an additional $1000 consolidated increase to CT1 salaries in the first year. This will allow the NT to offer salaries that are the highest paid in Australia at the graduate level by several hundred dollars and at CT9 by several thousand.

Recognition of Service and Experience

In response to our claim to recognise and retain our most experienced teachers the employer has proposed a $1000 once-off payment at the commencement of the agreement.

Alice Springs and Katherine Attraction and Retention

The employer has offered no increases to the Alice Springs and Katherine remote attraction and retention payment. The shortages are now at crisis point with many Katherine and Alice Springs schools reliant on overseas recruits and authority to teach staff. Our union is pushing for increased allowances to be competitive with other jurisdictions to attract staff and retain staff to these regions.

Next Steps

The employer has requested that the AEU respond to their offer by 24 July. We are seeking member feedback before we do that.

Virtual Town Hall

We are hosting an online town hall discussion on the proposed offer on Monday 15 July at 5pm. All AEU NT members are invited to participate. Click here to join the meeting.

Sub-Branch Meetings

Throughout Week 1 we are calling on sub-branches to meet and pass a motion that either supports or rejects the Governments offer. These motions and any attached feedback will inform the decision of our Branch Executive in responding to this offer. Information on how to participate in this process will be sent to reps and available on our website by the start of next week.

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