NT public doctors have rejected a four-year pay offer from the Finocchiaro Government which is less than the increase given to public servant generally and police officers, with 82 per cent of those who voted, voting against it, the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation has said.

Commissioner for Public Employment Nicole Hurwood had put forward an improved offer of a 10.8 per cent salary increase over four years, or about 11.25 per cent compounding over the term of the agreement, with 2.7 per cent increases each year.

She said it also featured structural changes, including a simplified salary spine with transitional increases that would range from between 7.17 per cent to 14.16 per cent for most registrars, and transitional increases of 5.31 per cent to 10.62 per cent for senior rural generalist and senior rural medical practitioners, rather than them having to wait 12 months to commence progression through these increments.

Federation NT president Dr Tom Fowles said 45 per cent of eligible staff voted and 82 per cent of them, or 545 doctors, voted to reject the government’s offer.

He told the NT News that when factoring in inflation it was a pay cut over four years.

“We are already struggling with chronic workforce shortages… Given the current state of NT Health, it is staggering that the government believed this offer was acceptable,” Dr Fowles told the NT News.

“Cutting real wages will only push more doctor’s interstate, leaving Territorians facing longer waits, fewer services, and even more pressure on an already overstretched health system.

“Given the current state of NT Health, it is staggering that the government believed this offer was acceptable.”

But Ms Hurwood said in a Bulletin in late January the offer remained consistent with the wages policy, and the terms comprise a complete package of improvements and amendments to the terms and conditions of employment.

“The improved offer has been developed taking into consideration ASMOF’s claims and their feedback on my original offer,” Mr Hurwood said.

“It includes a new simplified salary spine providing equity across the craft groups recognising years of equivalent service and qualifications, as well as new increment points, faster pay progressions, and improved leave and allowances amongst a range of other improvements.”

In mid-December public servants voted to accept a 13 per cent increase over four years with retained redundancy protections, and improved working from home arrangements. They will receive a three per cent pay rise in the first two years of the agreement, followed by 3.5 per cent rises in the next two years, or CPI, whichever is greater.

NT Police were given a salary increase of 15.9 per cent over the same period with an immediate five per cent increase last year.

The government quietly tabled the Remuneration Tribunal’s latest determination in Parliament in late November, which made the new base pay rate for MLAs $180,250 per annum — an accumulated increase of more than $13,500 over the previous 12 months, or eight per cent.

The general public servants EBA was at first voted down, with the government referring the matter to the Fair Work Commission which issued recommendations which broke the government’s wages cap which led to a one per cent wage increase on the offer that had been rejected.