Less than half of executive contract principals sign up to Gunner Government’s budget repair pay freeze

ONLY 37 out of 91 Territory principals have signed up to the Gunner Government’s executive pay freeze, part of the Territory’s NT economy repair measures

Thirty-seven out of 91 Territory principals on executive contracts are now on the Gunner Government’s pay freeze

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THIRTY-SEVEN out of 91 Territory principals on executive contracts are now on the Gunner Government’s pay freeze.

The freeze, first announced last April, halts the pay of politicians and senior public servants on executive contracts, which range from $190,000 to more than $400,000.

More than 50 executive contract principals are yet to sign up.

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A Department of Education spokeswoman said the remaining principals would automatically go onto a wage freeze if their contracts were renewed.

“The wage freeze is only applicable to principals who are employed on executive contracts,” she said.

“A wage freeze has been applied to the contracts of all new executive contract principals or those who have had their contracts renewed since the wage freeze was implemented.”

The budget repair measure is expected to save about $25 million.

The Gunner Government, however, met severe criticism from the Territory’s education community, with Australian Education Union president Jarvis Ryan saying it adds to the anxiety over job security principals already felt.

Mr Ryan told the NT News while the union was still against the pay freeze, it was more focused on introducing permanent contracts for principals.

Currently the executive contracts last about four years.

“They’re not really agreeing to the freeze,” he said.

“But it’s a matter of, do you want to be employed? If you do you need to accept the freeze.

“Our focus is to come to a solution that treats principals with respect and values them.

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“It has been a growing consensus among principals is they want to be able to become permanent employees.”

In January the NT Government revealed it was considering scrapping the executive contract pay freeze for an alternative which would give principals permanent public servant positions.

The alternative could also satisfy the NT Government’s need to prune its budget and give principals more entitlement.

It is understood work is continuing on this change, with Mr Ryan saying progress was positive.

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