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Australian Education Union NT

Join the AEU NT

Member benefits

Union membership is like insurance for you if anything goes wrong at work - an accident, a disciplinary charge, bullying, underpayment or any other issue that might come up.

Complete the online membership application form and join today. Our online membership portal contains a fee estimator or you can download the current schedule here. 

Member fees will soon be updated in line with current salaries for members employed under the 2021-2024 Teachers, Assistant Teachers' and Non-Contract Principals Enterprise Agreement. Those members will be contacted by email to advise of when this change will take effect. Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions. Download the upcoming fee schedule here.

There will be no change to the fees of members employed under the General Agreement or by school councils as any form of classroom support.

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You may also join by downloading and returning the hard copy membership application form [PDF].

We offer several options for paying your fees: fortnightly via direct debit or payroll deduction, monthly via credit card, or up front for a term, semester or annually. Union membership fees are 100% tax deductible and each year you will be issued with a letter to use to claim the deduction when completing your tax return.

Direct debit and credit card payments are collected on our behalf by Ezidebit Australia via secure payment gateway to keep your personal information secure. Direct Debit payments are collected in accordance with Ezidebit's DDR Service Agreement.

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Expert advice and support

Access to confidential, expert advice from the full-time officers and support staff of the union.

Workplace advocacy

Support and advocacy at the workplace level through your elected union sub-branch representative.

Funded legal support

Fully-funded legal support in more complex matters (where approved by the union's Executive).

Strength in numbers

The AEU is one of the largest and strongest unions in the country, which means better salaries and working conditions for teachers and educators.

Why join the Australian Education Union?

The information on our website is available free of charge - but only financial members enjoy the protections of union membership and access to expert advice and support.

Union membership is like insurance for you if anything goes wrong at work - an accident, a disciplinary charge, bullying, underpayment or any other issue that might come up.

The support you need when you need it

As a member of the union, you will never be alone in meetings with management or forced to deal with complex issues on your own. Our staff are experts in industrial law, negotiation and advocacy. When we can't deal with an issue ourselves, we have support from a national office, other branches and a skilled team of lawyers.

You can download a free PDF copy of our Member Handbook here.

About union fees

Your union fees make our work as a union possible - supporting individual members and also organising campaigns to improve teachers' working conditions and resourcing of schools, and making sure politicians and the wider community understand the issues facing educators.

Your membership fees are fully tax deductible and we will provide you with a statement at the end of the financial year to use with your tax return. 

Members are required to be up-to-date with membership payments in order to remain financial and eligible for union assistance. You can pay your fees fortnightly via direct debit or payroll deduction or monthly via credit card. Fees are based on your income and job classification and start at just $13 a week for classroom teachers and less than $11 a week for classroom support staff.

The small price you pay for union fees is far less than the value of the salary increases the union has won for members over the years. Moreover, investing a small amount in union membership could save you many thousands of dollars in legal fees if you end up in dispute with your employer over a matter like workers' compensation or bullying. Union membership means you will have representation and advocacy by experienced union officers and industrail staff, and in more complex matters the union Executive may authorise funding for legal representation by our lawyers at Hall Payne, one of Australia's largest firms specialising in employment and workers' compensation law.

Download a copy of our fee schedule for 2020-21

Am I eligible to join?

If you fall into one of the following categories of employment, you are eligible to be a member of the AEU NT.

NT Government schools, education units and offices

  • All teachers, including senior teachers, specialists, assistant principals, teaching principals and principals
  • Assistant teachers
  • All school support and ancillary staff (except for maintenance and grounds staff, and staff working exclusively in the front office or other admin roles); this includes SESOs, preschool assistants and other staff who work in classrooms and support teachers in curriculum delivery
  • Aboriginal and Islander Education Workers (AIEWs)
  • Classroom assistants such as ISAs
  • School counsellors
  • Vocational trainers
  • Teachers and educators working in office-based roles such as curriculum development and consultant positions

TAFE and higher education

  • Vocational lecturers at Charles Darwin University
  • Lecturers and tutors at the Batchelor Insitute (BIITE)

Join the Australian Education Union

The Australian Education Union represents and advocates for all teaching staff in public education, as well as many support workers.

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Office hours

Monday - Friday: 8:30am to 4:30pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Public holidays: Closed

© Authorised by Rachael Metcalfe, Branch Secretary, Australian Education Union Northern Territory Branch, Darwin (2023)

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