EA Blog

19/3/26

Welcome to the Nurses and Midwives Enterprise Agreement 2026–2029 Negotiations Blog

This blog is your space for clear updates, honest answers, and real insight into what’s happening on the ground as we enter negotiations. We know how important this Agreement is, not just for your pay and conditions, but for the future of nursing and midwifery in the Northern Territory.

This week, we’ve sent out the endorsement survey for the Log of Claims. This survey closes on 23 March 2026, and it is critical. The Log of Claims is the foundation of everything we will take into negotiations—it is your collective voice, formalised.

How was the Log of Claims developed?
It started with you. More than 800 members responded to the initial survey, generating over 350 pages of claims, concerns, and ideas. Every response was carefully reviewed, grouped into key themes, and distilled into the 8-page Log of Claims we are now putting forward.

“Why isn’t my specific claim included?”
This is a fair and important question. When representing such a diverse workforce, our responsibility is to identify and prioritise the issues that are most widely and deeply felt. That means not every individual claim can appear in the final document—but the core issues affecting the greatest number of members are strongly represented. This is how we build the strongest possible case at the bargaining table.

And it works.

In the last Enterprise Agreement, you delivered real wins:

• A new retention bonus for all NT nurses and midwives, with higher payments for those in rural and remote areas
• A 3% pay rise, achieved despite the government initially pushing for a wage freeze

Those outcomes didn’t happen by chance. They happened because members spoke, stood together, and backed their union.

That’s the power we bring into this round of negotiations.

When we act collectively, we are not just participants, we are a force that cannot be ignored.

Now is the time to engage, to have your say, and to stand with your colleagues.