News

The VAU wants to thank NPT members who joined our member meetings on Monday and Wednesday this week. It was great to get feedback from you all, and we hope that all of your questions were also answered

Feedback from member meetings

Overwhelmingly members relayed to us their anger and frustration with NPT about the way they are managing IA (including threats and pushback on member participation in actions), and the refusal to improve the wage offer put to staff.

In relation to our claim to increase the allotted ‘truck check’ time at the start of shift from 10 minutes, to 20 minutes, members reported to us that even very recently, managers are still telling new employees in training to arrive before their shift to start the vehicle check. NPT have always officially said they never expect or ask any employee to begin work in their own time. Members are encouraged to report all details to the VAU if they hear of people being told to come in early.

We also answered some questions from members about current bargaining claims, and questions about IA, or asserting themselves to take actions when there is push back from NPT.

Feedback overall was positive that members want to continue to push IA, and therefore we have notified a new action of stoppages to NPT yesterday.

New stoppages

Yesterday, the VAU notified NPT of an additional, new, ten-minute stoppage. This stoppage of work will occur for ten minutes, immediately after every case is cleared/concluded. After the ten-minute stoppage, crews will then be available to resume work, or be dispatched to another case.

The new ten-minute stoppage will commence from 0500hrs, on Friday 6 November 2026.

This is likely to frustrate and disrupt NPT management and dispatch. Remember that this is the point! If you receive any push back or frustration from anyone related to this stoppage, please direct them to NPT management. We want NPT management to hear these frustrations and resolve them, which is their job.

NPT comms that went out to ATAs and PTOs/CSOs separately

Last Friday, on 23 November, the VAU were contacted by NPT at 4:32pm, outlining their wages offer and a further explanation of their rationale. For clarity, they merely outlined in more detail their previous offer, which we have had since 28 August 2026. They did not present a new offer.

At ~5:30pm that day, the VAU was made aware that NPT had put out comms to staff, but sent different, separate emails to ATAs and PTOs/CSOs. This is the first time we have seen them communicate separate messages to different roles, and appears to be an attempt to divide the workforce.

In these NPT comms, there are some misrepresentations we wish to clarify. NPT has stated to ATAs that their wage increase for 2026 will apply from 30 December 2026 “in line with the wishes of the VAU”. To PTOs and CSOs, NPT said where the parties differ is when increases apply from, further saying “PTOs and CSOs have been on the Award long enough and shouldn’t have to wait [until 30 December”. We agree that they have been on the Award long enough, and this should only embarrass NPT as they have paid them so little, which is why they have now dropped below Award minimum rates.

It is a common technique in bargaining, in order to receive a genuine wage increase, to suggest a delay in pay rates so that the company has more time to save for it, but it must therefore be a worthy offer. In June, the VAU suggested, as a way for NPT to increase their offer, for all new rates to apply from 30 December instead of 1 July. We are seeking significantly more than NPT had offered, and all employees had just received a CPI increase of 4.6%. These higher rates would then be the basis for increases over the life of the Agreement and in to the future. We made it clear that it would apply for everyone. NPT came back to us and only modelled it for ATAs. When we confirmed we meant everyone, they said they still could not afford our request and from that point has held onto delaying the increase for ATAs, but not PTOs. It was never the VAU idea to separate the workforce or have different dates apply for different roles, but NPT has run with this, and now their offer only includes a delay to ATA rates, which the VAU disagrees with. We are always seeking unity and equality across the workforce, and genuine increases for all.

The other main point to clarify is that NPT keep referring to the VAU’s original wages claim of 6% or CPI, whichever is higher. The VAU wages claim changed in or around June to now seek CPI + 2% for 2027, and CPI + 2.5% for 2028. Members already receive increases in line with CPI under the current EA, and we wanted to embed actual increases, in addition to CPI, as a new precedent for the next EA. Please refer to our previous bulletins to further explain the wages and other claims we continue to fight for. However, NPT keep referring to this older initial claim of 6% to confuse members.

Reminder – current actions in place, continue to take part!! Read your Bulletin for more information.