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Katie Woolf spoke with Community & Public Sector Union NT Regional Secretary Kay Densley · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: You're listening to MIX one O four point nine three sixteen. Now,
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: as we know, the budget's being delivered at eleven o'clock.
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: No real idea at this stage exactly how the finances
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: are sitting or what level of debt the government is in,
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: but we do know that late last week the Northern
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Territory Gunner government locked in a zero percent wage offer
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: for public servants, a commitment made quite some time ago,
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: as I understand it, in an effort to rain in
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: the spending. Now joining me on the line is Kay Densley,
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: the Secretary of the Community in Public Sector Union. Good
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: morning to UK. Good morning, Kay, you say the freeze
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: is not just bad for anty public service employees who've
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: already gone above and beyond during the pandemic, but it's
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: bad for the economy and workers everywhere.
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: Why it certainly is you know, it's basically a pay
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: cut for public service workers and they're wanting this to
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: go on for four long years, So prices are going
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: to be going up and you're including power goes up
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: by CPI and wayes are just going to lag behind.
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: And it's not fair considering what the public service does
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: and the services they provide.
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: Okay, when does this come into effect? Is it immediately?
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: It's the offer on the table in bargaining. So our
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: current agreement, the general Agreement, expires in August, so public
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: public service workers under that agreement, we'll get to vote
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: on their agreement before August. So they're the ones who
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: will either accept the payoffer or hopefully the government will
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: come to the table beforehand. We're happy to talk about
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: the percentage where after two point five percent over two
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: years is our initials claim. We're happy to talk to
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: government about that. But nothing is nothing and it's just
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: going to cause workers go backwards and leave the territory.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: Okay, This is obviously one of the measures that the
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: government's implemented in an effort to rain in the spending.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: Many listening will be wondering why the public service feels
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: they're immune to a pay freeze when many in the
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: private sector have had to cop one.
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: I don't think many in the private sector have copped one.
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: The public services has kept providing those services and keeping
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: us safe all through last year, the terrible time, and
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: now we're trying to attract more people into the territory.
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: We were being told that the economy is on the
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: up and up, and we're hopeful that that's the case.
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: But you can't give people a pay cut, you know,
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: for four years just to help with you know, I
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: think it's shortsighted about the offer that they've provided.
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: Okay, what has the reaction been from the public service?
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: Well, they're angry and we're getting lots of feedback from
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: members and we're encouraging them to tell the government and
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: the commissioners and Public Employment about how they're feeling about this.
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: So I think that they feel disrespected and I don't
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: blame them.
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: This is this more about the duration of time that
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: the government wants to freeze these wages or is it
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: the fact that it's a freeze you know from the outset.
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: Look, four years is a really long time and anything
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: can happen. We're hoping that the territory does start to recover.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: We know that recovery is you know, everyone's trying to
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: do that all around Australia and the world in that respect,
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: and here we're lucky at the most of the place
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: is getting full all the time. And now disbudget, the
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: government's trying to get you know, an extra five thousand
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: house releases. You know, all that's wonderful, but people expect
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: services when they move them where they expect to be
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: able to have their family looked after and their news
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: looked after. So if public servants leave the territory, you're
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: not going to get that, and you're certainly not going
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: to attract people here.
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: Kay, do public servants except that everyone is doing it
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: tough though, and they also need to be part of
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: that budget recovery.
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: Certainly they're sensible about it, but I think just the
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: fact that you know, it was just well, we're not
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: going to pay you anything except this one thousand dollar
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: taxed bonus. It's going to affect people's long term superranuation.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: It obviously affects their take home pay, and you know
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: they need to pay their bills and prices are going
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: to keep going up. So it leaves a lot of
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: uncertainty with people. And while you know they work for
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: the territory government, they support the territory government and territorians,
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: but you know, zero pay rise.
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: Really, Kay, Again, I would say, you know, what is
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: the reaction from people?
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  Speaker 2: Are they?
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: You know, do you think we're going to see public
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: servants leave town?
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  Speaker 2: It certainly could happen. We'll see how negotiations go up
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: until you know, when people have to vote on an agreement.
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: If zero is still on the table, I can't see
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: them accepting it. But it is up to our members
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: and the public service workers about whether or not they
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: accept this deal. Personally, I think that you know, they
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: deserve more. We're happy to talk about the figure, and
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: we're happy to talk for a shorter term, and I
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: think that's a sensible way to approach it rather than
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: what the government's just thrown on the table.
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: Okay, what will happen though if there isn't movement here
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: and you know, if zero is the figure.
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: Well not only in the public service, And I can't
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: predict what's going to happen or how people reactually saw
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: how their family budgets are run. But we're already starting
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: to hear that in private enterprise they're not going to
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: offer pay rise as neither because they're not in the
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: public service. So what's going to be happening is that
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: we're all going to end up getting paid less and
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: I don't think that's a great outcome to attract people
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: and skilled people to the territory, which is something which
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: the government says that they want to do.
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: Kate just quickly. We know that yesterday was May Day.
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: Hundreds of people turned up to march for workers' rights.
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: Was there a good turnout?
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: Yes, yes, it was great. So May Day he is
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: always wonderful and we end up at the beautiful Esplana
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: for a concert and so it's great to be able
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: to express that. Of course, a lot of people go
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: fishing as well, and you can't blame for that up
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: here in the territory, that's for sure. But a great
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: day was had by all. We've got Sally McManus up
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: here this week and also Michelle Myers from the ALP,
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: so it was really great to share the day with
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: some leaders in our movements.
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: Okay, we have been contacted by by some other unions
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: who said that Unions NT had stopped some of those
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: unions from marching yesterday, including the SDA and the cfmm EU.
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: Is that the case.
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: We limited it because of the COVID. We had to
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: fill in a COVID form, so you know there was
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: there were limits to numbers. So we actually said that
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: any unions that were affiliated to unions and could march.
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: So Steve and you were there and they marched ready anyway,
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: But we didn't want thousands and thousands of people or
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: we'd have Hugh Heggy yelling at us and we don't
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: want that.
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: Well, but we were all able to attend the footy
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: and and other things, so surely there would have been
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: a way around it.
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: Well, everyone could attend the concert. That was no problems
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: because it had that that limit. But that was a.
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: Decision that was made, so it wasn't there's no friction
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: between the unions.
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: No, no, it's just they're not affiliated to union vent
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  Speaker 2: at this time.
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: Okay, good to catch up with you this morning. I
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: appreciate your time. We will leave it there. It's going
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: to be a busy day. We may catch up with
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: you again in coming days, depending on what is in
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: that budget.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: Always happy, thank you, Thanks Kay.
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: That is Kate Densley there, who is indeed the Community
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: and Public Sector Union anti regional secretary. And I tell you, Wash,
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: it's going to be a busy morning. After eleven o'clock
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: we're going to have more detail on that budget. What
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: did you think there about Kay Densley saying that you
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: know she would argue that most in the private sector
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: have not had to have wage cuts or not had
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: paid decreases over that COVID period. It's not what I'm hearing.
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: It's certainly not what I've experienced, what friends and family
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: have experienced. But keen to hear your thoughts today eight
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  Speaker 1: nine four one one four nine