The NT’s teachers, firefighters, nurses, correctional officers and other workers will either walk off the job outright or send representatives to the “NT Public Sector Day of Action” on September 1, to protest the government’s proposed pay freeze, organisers have said.

The public sector workers will be taking the day-long action in both Alice Springs and Darwin with a rallies at Parliament House and Alice Town Council lawns starting from 9am.

Unions NT secretary Erina Early said the “drastic action” was needed because the government has refused to back down from the four-year pay freeze offer.

“Public sector workers in Alice Springs and Darwin are taking drastic action on 1 September to send a message to Chief Minister Fyles – lose the freeze or prepare for rolling actions and more,” she said.

Teachers will stop working for the day, with correctional officers stopping work for 12 hours.

Nurses, firefighters, Power and Water and Territory Generation workers, Aboriginal Health Practitioners and various other government workers will all attend the rallies, Ms Early said.

“Public sector workers will be reciprocating the same respect and value the current government is showing them – zero,” she said.

“We are encouraging all public sector workers to take the day off, come down on in your lunch break or after work – show this government what you think of their wage freeze.”