Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment

Bulletin 3 - negotiations update - issued on the 28 August 2025

Negotiations for the new NTPS Fire and Rescue Service Enterprise Agreement are progressing well, with weekly meetings being held between the United Workers Union (UWU), workplace delegates, representatives from the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service (NTFRS) and my Office.

I want to confirm our commitment to progressing bargaining in a timely, professional and respectful manner ensuring meetings are productive with an emphasis on keeping sessions solutions focused.

The UWU have provided their log of claims and the parties are working constructively through them with a shared focus on ensuring workplace conditions continue to support a capable, committed and sustainable fire and rescue workforce.

Representatives from my office recently outlined the employer proposals which falls within the Northern Territory Public Sector bargaining policy 2025 - 2028 (wages policy).These proposals provide new and improved conditions, addresses operational needs, and enhances the NTFRS ability to attract and retain firefighters across the Territory and we are working towards making a formal offer once all claims have been considered.

I value the vital contribution NTFRS staff make to the Northern Territory and will continue to ensure this bargaining process is conducted in good faith.

Details of the proposals

  • A 4-year agreement to provide certainty and security of conditions, with an expiry date of 7 November 2029.
  • Total package value consistent with the wages policy, with salary increases, to apply from seven days after the agreement is approved by Fair Work.
  • Introduction of model clauses to ensure compliance with the Fair Work Act 2009 to ensure consistency across NTPS enterprise agreements.
  • Improve difficult to fill recruitment processes to allow the appointment of a person that has recently served as a firefighter with the NTFRS.
  • Commitment to discuss a flexible management model for career progression and succession planning pathways for career firefighters to transition into non-operational roles.
  • Clarify the composite salary provisions to reflect the entitlements originally provided through the award.
  • Improvements to higher duty allowance provisions to support operational flexibility.
  • Improved return to regional centre provisions for track stations.
  • Amend the selection panel composition for challenge and fitness assessments relating to the Accelerated Recruitment Program and difficult to fill vacancies.
  • Amend the Territory duty officer (TDO) clause to provide appropriate notice for rostered TDO periods to facilitate work life balance and remove the commitment to establish a TDO working group under the current agreement.
  • Amend emergency duty provisions to clarify requirements to stay on duty, and include recall to duty for subsequent emergencies within the 4 hour period.
  • Amend or remove restrictive provisions introduced in the current agreement that fetter the Commissioners powers, including:
    • clause 6.4 in relation to the issuing of By-laws and Determinations, and
    • clause 100 to allow the Commissioner to declare potentially surplus employees redundant without the restriction of being on the Redeployment Database for at least 2 years.

Technical provisions proposed

  • Include provisions to clarify that Determinations issued by the Commissioner that are related to matters in the agreement can be made retrospectively, provided employees are better off overall.
  • Include a clause to allow the Commissioner to issue Determinations that are inconsistent with the agreement, provided employees are better off overall.

Maintaining strong existing conditions

The NTFRS continues to offer some of the most generous conditions nationally, which will be maintained under the new agreement. These include:

  • recreation leave – 6 weeks per year (7 weeks for shift workers)
  • personal leave – 3 weeks per year
  • parental leave – up to 18 weeks for the primary caregiver and 2 weeks partner leave
  • Defence service leave – 20 shifts per year (and an additional 2 weeks during the first year)
  • war service leave – 9 weeks paid leave
  • domestic, family and sexual violence leave – unlimited
  • foster and kinship carer leave – 10 days paid, 10 days unpaid
  • compassionate leave – 3 to 5 days depending on circumstance
  • cultural and ceremonial leave – 5 days unpaid
  • kinship obligation leave – up to 5 days paid
  • flexible working arrangements – purchase of leave, part-time work, leave at half pay, individual flexible working arrangements etc.

Next steps

My office will continue to have productive meetings with unions and bargaining representatives to ensure an offer providing fair pay within the wages policy is made before the nominal expiry of the enterprise agreement on 7 November 2025.

Have your say - your feedback is important

Should you wish to provide feedback during this process, you can do so by emailing enquiries.ocpe@nt.gov.au.

More information

Regular updates in relation to the bargaining process will be posted to the this website.

Information on bargaining in general can be obtained on the Fair Work Commission website or you can call their information line on 1300 799 675.

Nicole Hurwood
Commissioner for Public Employment
28 August 2025