Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment

Bulletin 4 - Offer for new Enterprise Agreement - issued 26 November 2025

I am pleased to advise that on 25 November 2025, I made an offer to settle the Correctional Officer (NTPS) enterprise agreement negotiations.

Your union (the United Workers Union (UWU), the Department of Corrections and this office have worked hard to negotiate a new agreement. I have considered the UWU’s claims and that it has not offered up any real, bankable, productivity cost offsets and work practice reform initiatives to fund the claims. The offer made reflects this and the progress made during the negotiation meetings to date and is summarised below.

Read the details of the full offer PDF (577.9 KB).

Read the Notice of Employee Representational Rights DOCX (32.5 KB)

Summary of the offer

3% salary increase each year for 4 years

Back payment of salary and allowances

Allowance increases

  • Total salary increase of 12% over 4  years (or 12.55% compounding over the term of the Agreement)
  • Payment from the commencement of the first pay period commencing on or after 3 December 2025, on the proviso the offer is approved through a ballot of employees under the FWA.
  • Payment of salary and allowance increases, including any back payment, will be payable to all employees who are in the service on the date of commencement of the new agreement.
  • Allowances will continue to be adjusted in line with Darwin Consumer Price Index (CPI) or by the 3% salary increase with no reduction to any current allowances
  • The below shows cumulative salary increases over the period are above CPI and this is predicted to be maintained over the life of the new  agreement.

Salary Growth

Improvements to leave provisions
  • New Organ Donor Leave
  • Improved Blood Plasma Donor Leave
  • Personal leave to cover for medical attendance and preventative  health matters
  • Improved Leave to Engage in Voluntary Emergency Management Activities
  • Long Service Leave provisions included in the Agreement.
Improvements to flexible work / Work life balance provisions
  • Employee right to disconnect provisions will be included in the agreement to assist in maintaining work life balance opportunities.
  • Ensuring favourable consideration is given with flexible working arrangements
Enhanced Time Off in Lieu provisions
  • Extending the period to utilise time off in lieu from 8 months to 12 months for all employees. Previously this applied only to employees in Alice Springs
Secured work camp special allowance provisions
  • Work Camp Special Allowance brought into the Agreement
Strengthened Work Health and Safety provisions
  • New provisions:
    • to support  establishment of committees/work groups including health and safety representatives; and
    • to address psychosocial risks in the workplace.
Improved Employee
Assistance Program Provisions
  • Clarify that employees accessing approved providers will be granted reasonable travel and attendance time without deduction from any leave entitlements.
New provision to support disability and diversity in the workplace
  • A new clause committing to support and accommodate a diverse and inclusive workplace which values the identities, skills and capabilities of  all people including those with a disability, from culturally and   linguistically diverse background, and senior people.
Employer efficiencies
  • Revert the current 2 year requirement for an employee to remain on the redeployee database, back to the provision in the Correctional Officer (NTPS) 2017 – 2021 Enterprise Agreement which included the offer of a voluntary retrenchment package; and if an employee chooses not to accept voluntary retrenchment, that they may continue to work through the redundancy notice period which may be up to 52 weeks, during which redeployment efforts will continue.
  • Replace 'agreement' in clause 89.4 (variations to the Operating Models and staffing levels for correctional facilities) with 'consultation'. Consultation will then be required to be undertaken in accordance with the Management of Change provisions.

Employer commitment to review management policies and practices

During negotiations, multiple UWU claims were discussed that are important to both parties but were agreed were not matters that should or need to be included in an enterprise agreement, including.

  • Allocation of Recreation Leave
  • Introduction of flexible working rosters
  • Introduction of 3 month rosters
  • Review of current eligibility requirements for Senior Correctional Officers
  • Review of eligibility to perform higher duties as a Senior Correctional Officer
  • Review of current eligibility requirements for Senior Industry Officers
  • Review of the Pool for Temporary Higher Duties in Custodial Positions.

The employer is committed to reviewing rostering practices and leave management and attendance principles and practices to enhance employee wellbeing and reduce the operational impact of absences and it is planned to embark on this, in consultation with the UWU, at the earliest practicable opportunity.

It is expected that this will result in a Fatigue Management Framework that integrates rostering principles, overtime controls and shift limits, positioning safety and workforce as aligned priorities as well as a Wellbeing Framework.

Have your say – your feedback is important

Should you wish to provide feedback or make a suggestion, you can do so by emailing enquiries.ocpe@nt.gov.au.

More information

More information is available at Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment website.

Nicole Hurwood
Commissioner for Public Employment
November 2025