The Territory Labor Government continues to support the retention of skilled and experienced workers in the community services sector with a new Bill that remedies the inequity of access to long service leave for some of the Northern Territory’s lowest paid workers.
Today, in Parliament, the Territory Labor Government introduced the Portable Long Service Leave Bill to establish a portable long service leave scheme for community services sector workers.
The Bill recognises the transient nature of workers moving between employers in the community services sector, meaning they often do not achieve the necessary length of service with a particular employer to qualify for access to long service leave after 10 years of service.
By recognising a worker’s employment in the community service sector, rather than just with a single employer, they will have improved access to long service leave.
It is estimated that approximately 10,000 people employed in the Northern Territory will be covered by the scheme.
This Bill has been a long time in the making and follows a 2019-20 consultation with the community services sector about establishing a portable long service leave scheme. The Bill provides the proposed model and administration of the scheme.
A ‘Have your Say’ community consultation occurred this month, for anyone with an interest in the scheme to provide feedback on the proposed timing for implementation and feedback on the current Bill.
The community services sector will continue to be engaged over the next 18-24 months while the details of the scheme and future regulations are fully developed and before the scheme becomes fully operational.
The proposed scheme has been developed based on the successful NT Build Scheme, which covers the construction sector, and portable long service leave schemes in other jurisdictions.
The Bill will provide benefits to workers through access to entitlements that recognise the long-standing, hard work of employees in the community services sector. It will also encourage the retention of skilled workers and incentivise them to remain in the sector.
Professions in the community services sector that would be covered by the scheme include respite services and day care services, crisis assistance and accommodation support services, disability services, community legal service providers, social workers, health and wellbeing services in Aboriginal communities provided by an Aboriginal controlled health service.
This will be a defined benefit scheme, which means employees will receive a benefit based on the median weekly rate of pay for workers in the community services sector, which will be revised annually.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Employment Selena Uibo:
“Only under a Territory Labor Government will the lowest paid workers in crucial sectors such as community services see improved employment rights.
“This Bill is seeking to remedy access to long service leave entitlements for our essential workers in the community sector by recognising their service to the sector rather than to a single employer.
“Our Government is addressing the retention of skilled workers in the Territory community sectors through this Bill.”
Northern Territory Government
