The exodus of public servants heading to other States could continue for years, according to Shadow Minister for Public Employment Bill Yan.
Mr Yan said the Labor government’s failure to negotiate in good faith with teachers meant already understaffed schools lost even more experienced teachers.
“But this is just the beginning because EBAs for other key public service groups, such as the fire service, police, and corrections, are yet to be negotiated,” he said.
“It’s no wonder public service employees are looking interstate when they see the way teachers were treated.”
Shadow Minister for Education Jo Hersey said after backflips on housing arrangements in Katherine and the pay freeze, and six months of failed negotiations, it was a relief to finally see a result.
“We are relieved teachers have accepted that offer, but the question still remains how many teachers made the decision to leave over the Term 3 holidays, and will not be in the Territory into 2024,” she said.
“This has been a long and arduous journey for our teachers and they deserve much better than the treatment they’ve endured from this Labor government.
She said the Fyles Labor government must come clean on where this money is coming from whether it is from the education budget or from individual schools
“If they didn’t spend so frivolously on pet projects and waste millions on roads to nowhere, negotiations might have been much easier for everyone involved,” Mrs Hersey said.
“This government has spent money like kids in a lolly shop, and as a result we’re now staring down the barrel of a $10 billion debt by 2026, and can’t even afford to pay our teachers.”
ENDS