Australian Education Union-Northern Territory Branch members voted overwhelmingly in favour of the new pay and conditions agreement. Photo: AEU-NT Branch.
Teachers in the Northern Territory will receive a nearly 13 per cent pay rise over three years after more than 90 per cent of them voted in favour of a revised pay and conditions offer from the new Territory Government.
The agreement between the Territory Government and the Australian Education Union (AEU) will see teachers receive 4.3 per cent pay rises in October 2024, in January 2026, and in January 2027.
Territory Minister for Education and Training Jo Hersey said the agreement would support Territory schools to retain and attract teachers at a time of a national workforce shortage in education.
“The Territory must be competitive if we are going to attract and retain excellent teachers and this deal delivers the country’s best pay deal,” she said.
“Now our government’s focus for education is on the safety of teachers and students, and on getting kids to school.
“Over the life of the agreement, the increase represents a 13.46 per cent compounded pay rise.”
Apart from the pay rise, other benefits will include a $1000 increase in the Katherine and Alice Springs Attraction and Retention allowance to $4500 per year, and a commitment to developing a ‘Hard To Fill School’ incentive payment scheme to attract and retain employees and help balance the workload in these schools.
“To support teacher workloads and enable greater time to plan and prepare to deliver quality education to students, primary school teachers will receive an additional 1.5 hours per week to be phased into implementation from 2026 onwards,” Mrs Hersey said.
“In another win for our hardworking teachers, average class sizes will be reduced from 27 to an average of 25 students in transition and Year 11 and 12 classes. Principals covered under this agreement will also benefit from improved pay provisions.”
Mrs Hersey thanked the AEU, representatives of the Department of Education and Training and the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment for their roles in “crafting an agreement that recognises the work of teachers, principals and Aboriginal team teachers that work each and every day to improve the life of young Territorians”.
The overwhelming support from union members came after an in-principle agreement was reached in late July, and the local branch of the AEU endorsed the offer to its members.
Australian Education Union – Northern Territory Branch President Michelle Ayres encouraged her members to vote for the agreement offer. Photo: AEU-NT Branch.
“I’m excited to share that this agreement delivers significant salary increases and the classroom teacher (CT) restructure, which are vital steps in addressing the teacher shortage and building a foundation for long-term workload relief,” Australian Education Union – Northern Territory Branch President Michelle Ayres told members on 16 September.
“From October, NT will stand out as one of the most competitive regions for teacher salaries.”
Ms Ayres described the offer as a long-term win.
“Higher teacher salaries mean more teachers next year, and that’s a key step toward reducing workloads and creating a better working environment,” she said. “In the meantime, the 4.3 per cent salary increase will provide real cost of living relief for all educators.
“I urge you to vote ‘Yes’ to lock in these critical gains and help build a stronger, better-supported teaching workforce in the NT. Your Yes vote is essential to ensuring we continue to move forward and secure the best possible future for education in our Territory.”
