DARWIN — Mass meetings of teachers held over the past few weeks across the Northern Territory have strongly endorsed the decision of the Australian Education Union (AEU) to reject the NT Labor government's latest wage-rise offer of 11% over two years. A series of 24-hour rolling strikes have been threatened with legal action by the NT government.

Stop-work meetings around the NT, including in Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine, Tenant Creek and Alice Springs, have overwhelmingly supported strike action and the AEU's demand for a wage increase of 18% over two years.

One teacher present at the 500-plus meeting held in Darwin told Green Left Weekly that there was broad discussion about how to make the campaign for better wages and conditions as strong as possible and not bow to the intimidation of the government. In some instances, teachers reported intimidation from school administrations for attending the union meetings.

A key concern is the aging teacher population and the failure of the NT government to be able to retain or attract teachers to the NT.

Jon Lamb

From Green Left Weekly, March 23, 2005.
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