Log of Claims (2024-27 NTPS Educator’s Enterprise Agreement Negotiations)
AEU NT Log of Claims
Australian Education Union NT proposals for a replacement NTPS Non-Contract Principals, Teachers and Assistant Teachers’ 2021-2024 Enterprise Agreement
| Claim 01: Title | Agreement to be called the Northern Territory Public Education Agreement |
| Claim 02: Coverage | Coverage rules to include: Teachers Assistant Teachers Principals |
| Claim 03: Period of Operation | The AEU-NT seek a minimum two-year agreement. Negotiable for longer dependant on wages offer and real action to reduce workload. |
| Claim 04: Probation | Clarity where an employee has been on a fixed term contract for a minimum of six months and offered ongoing, the probation period will not apply. |
| Claim 05: Union Rights | Clause 25 is amended so the AEU-NT has: Guaranteed and formalised access to orientation events. The right to use DoE mass communications to communicate with members and potential members. Notification of new employees. Guaranteed access to payroll deductions for all DoE and school council staff. |
| Claim 06: Types of Employment | Clause 28 is modified to reflect the award and specify an employee is employed in 1 of 4 categories. Full-time, part-time, casual, or fixed term. |
| Claim 07: Full-Time Employment | A teacher’s workload is broken down and specifies the quantum of hours for face-to-face teaching, non-contact duties and professional duties. Part-Time provisions are pro-rated. |
| Claim 08: Fixed Period Employment | Clause 28 is amended to be reflective of the secure jobs, better pay amendments and reflective of award provisions that specify a reason for fixed term appointments. Where an employee is employed on a fixed-term basis the employer will specify a reason for the fixed term employment. |
| Claim 09: Stand Down | Specifying Stand Down to ensure where new employees have not accrued sufficient leave stand down is paid for the remaining recreation leave period. Plus other arrangements as per (OCPE ER Advice 0049) |
| Claim 10: Casual Employment | Clause 31 is amended to not only make reference to National Employment Standard but also to be subject to dispute resolution procedures. |
| Claim 11: Relief Teacher Provisions-Pay | The payment for relief teachers is reflective of award and specifies full day and half day payments. The casual rate is calculated using CT4. |
| Claim 12: Relief Teacher Provisions- Casual Year | Reduce the 195 days to allow for casual staff to be counted as full-time to 180days. |
| Claim 13: Classifications, Salaries and Allowances | Salary increases must ensure that all roles covered are “the best paid in the country” over the duration of the agreement, and reflect the time spent obtaining professional qualifications.
Special consideration should be given to ensure experienced teacher, senior teacher and principal salaries are reflective of their experience and responsibilities.
Annual percentage increases to salaries and allowances should reflect CPI increases, at a minimum.
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| Claim 14: Salary-Based Allowances | Confirmation the formula in Clause 33.2 applies to salary-based allowances as well. |
| Claim 15: Recovery of Overpayments | NT Financial Management Regulations 1995 require amending to facilitate the inclusion of provisions that prevent recovery from an employee of involuntary overpayments where the cost of the recovery process exceeds the amount to be recovered. |
| Claim 16: Classification of Employees, Classroom-Based Support Staff | A classification structure for classroom-based support staff (Educational Officers) to be introduced covering para-professional educators. |
| Claim 17: Classification of Employees – Principal Determinations | Incorporation of Permanent Principal provisions of Commissioner Determinations. Including consideration of “Restriction Duty” for Principals on leave but required for Emergency Shelter management and/or other non-educational duties.
A commitment to regularly upgrade Principal classifications in a timely manner to ensure that they accurately reflect the complex nature of their schools.
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| Claim 18: Remote Incentive Allowance | Increases to offer competitive remote allowance structures. |
| Claim 19: Remote Retention Payments | Remote Retention Payments offer significant incentives for teachers to remain |
| Claim 20: Remote Locality – additional provisions | Free electricity provision to all employees in remote localities. An entitlement of four FOILS for employees stationed in category 3 remote areas. |
| Claim 21: Parental Leave | Partner Leave to be increased to four weeks for less than 12months service and 6weeks for greater than 12-month service.
All special maternity leave is to be paid and access to primary caregiver parental leave entitlement is given in all circumstances where there is loss of a child. |
| Claim 22: Infectious Disease Leave | Specify infectious leave is a separate bank of non-cumulative leave per calendar year. Include a clause specifying viruses such as COVID-19, Ross River Fever and other future diseases classified as pandemic/epidemic. |
| Claim 23: Emergency Leave | Emergency Leave restored to 3 days akin Common Clauses of the other EAs and the By Law. |
| Claim 24: Cultural and Ceremonial Leave | Provide 5 days of paid cultural leave for indigenous staff |
| Claim 25: Non-Contact, Collaborative Planning | Teaching professionals and paraprofessionals receive an increase to autonomous release time scheduled during the timetabled hours of a school day; which is adequate to meet the professional requirements involved in the delivery of teaching and learning expectations as set out in clause 10.4.
Including but not limited to: Primary teachers to be given at least 5hrs 20min. Allocation of release time for Assistant Teachers Provision of collaborative planning days
Further note of wording tweak to ensure no misunderstanding of intended NCT for teachers of secondary aged students in remote schools listed in Schedule 5.3.1 |
| Claim 26: Teacher Responsibilities | That elements of the TRG that are directive (e.g. face to face teaching, supervision duties) are included in the agreement – and the broader contextual factors form part of the teacher responsibility guide. |
| Claim 27: Class Sizes | Reduce the number of students enrolled in a mainstream Primary or Secondary Class to a maximum of 24.
This includes making a mandatory adjustment using a weighting system for class size calculations, which recognises the workload involved in teaching students with additional needs who require substantial learning adjustments.
That maximums apply to the following: Special Education Centre classrooms (Max 6) Intensive English classrooms (Max 12) Pre-School (ratio of educator to students of 1:11 as per regulations)
Support staff provided for a minimum of four hours per day for all primary classes.
Further staff allocations are provided based on student weightings. |
| Claim 28: Disciplinary Proceedings | A clause outlining process for unsatisfactory work and disciplinary proceedings. |
| Claim 29: Agreement Reviews | Where applicable the recommendations of the non-contact times; and administrative burdens on teachers is incorporated into the agreement.
Where applicable the recommendations of additional duties of Homeland Learning Centres is incorporated into the agreement. |
| Claim 30: Authority to Teach | Conditions specific to Authority to Teach are implemented based on further discussions with those implicated. |
| Claim 31: Leave Entitlements/Accident Allowance Worker’s Compensation | Super contribution to be made and Leave entitlements accrue while employees are on Workers Compensation. NB: Clause 48 – “Accident Allowance” of the General EA |
| Claim 32: Language Allowance | A language allowance to be received by employees where utilising a non-English language is relevant to their role. (See Determination Number 6 of 2013 Community Language Allowance.) |
| Claim 33: Break Times | The inclusion of break times in the agreement. |
| Claim 34: Senior Teacher Release | Positions of Responsibility have a framework for assessing ST salary modelled off award and include a minimum release from teaching duty. |
| Claim 35: Review of Homelands: Locality Provisions | Staff working at Homelands Learning Centres receive Category 3 remote provision as a minimum regardless of the location of their personal residence or office. |
| Claim 36: Inclusion of Determinations | Incorporation of all Commissioner Determinations. Includes: Alice Springs Relocation Allowance, Katherine town Relocation Allowance, Alice Springs Retention Allowance, Katherine town Retention Allowance, Satellite TV or Internet Service Reimbursement 1014/2022 Household Content Insurance Premium 8/2015 Leave arrangements for teaching staff employed at Tivendale, Owen Springs & Sanderson After Hours Higher Education Loan Program Reimbursement |
| Claim 37: Reproduction Leave | An additional leave clause for Menstruation and Menopause Leave under the umbrella of “Reproductive Leave”.
Minimum 5 days non-cumulative Reproductive Leave days per annum be available to workers experiencing the symptoms of menstruation (including pre- menstrual issues, menopause (including perimenopause) and other reproductive health related issues. This leave is to be in addition to paid personal leave entitlements and does not require them to be exhausted before accessing this new entitlement.
Partners: a number of equivalent days that are accessible to them if needed to provide support (physical or psychological) and/or to attend appointments related to reproductive health of their partner. |
| Claim 38: Technical Amendments | Any technical changes to other clauses that arise from agreed changes. Technical amendments that are required due to legislative requirements. |
| Claim 39: Long Service Leave Weekends | Ability to access long service leave in non-restrictive increments; inclusive of and not limited to 1-day usage and without the requirement to include non-working weekend days. |
| Claim 40: Compensation for Additional Duties | Staff to be given time in lieu and reimbursement for additional duties undertaken that require them to supervise students beyond normal school hours. |
| Claim 41: HALT | Conditions specific to HALT are reviewed and implemented based on further discussions with those implicated. |
| Claim 42: School-Based Corporate Deployment | Pro-rata school-based conditions and allowances for redeployed corporate staff.
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