Overview

Workplace agreements are documents made under the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Commonwealth) containing terms and conditions of employment negotiated through the enterprise bargaining process and applying to a particular group of employees.

Workplace agreement negotiations in the NT Public Sector (NTPS) takes place between the Commissioner for Public Employment (CPE), NTPS agencies and the unions and associations representing employees. Whilst non-union agreements are allowed under the Workplace Relations Act, the approach in the NTPS is to negotiate union agreements.

The workplace agreement negotiation process generally involves the following:

• The representative union consults with its members about the sort of changes they would like to see to their terms and conditions of employment.

• The union then formulates its claim for presentation to the CPE. The claim is basically a list of the members’ desired changes.

• Similarly, the CPE and agency consider changes they would like to see occur.

• Non-union members are able to provide their views through their agency or via the feedback page on this website.

• The parties then set about negotiating the issues raised with a view to finalising an agreement. The negotiation process can take some time as the union consults further with its members, and the agency and the CPE consider the union’s claims.

Once negotiations have concluded, the parties draft a document setting out the matters agreed upon. Employees are then given a copy of the document and have the opportunity to vote in favour of it. If a majority of employees who participate in the vote approve the terms, the document is lodged as a workplace agreement with the Workplace Authority.