Gunner ‘relaxed’ about controversial pay freeze success
CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner says he believes his public service executive pay freeze is “going smoothly”
Northern Territory
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CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner says he believes his public service executive pay freeze is “going smoothly”.
Only half of more than 600 executives agreed to the Government’s demand they accept a three-year wage freeze before the previous June 30 deadline.
That deadline has since been moved back to August. Mr Gunner told Mix 104.9’s Katie Woolf the earlier date was set by human resources workers, not by his Government.
“The pay rise doesn’t actually kick in until August. As long as you sign before then I’m relaxed but obviously DCIS would like it done sooner rather than later,” he said.
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Mr Gunner softened his rhetoric around those who have not yet signed up.
“If you’re moving into retirement it could actually affect your super if you took that pay freeze,” he said.
“We get that for a few people out there.”
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Those executives could serve out their contracts with agreed wage increases, he said.
Mr Gunner’s office yesterday declined to release a breakdown by department showing which executives were holding out against the freeze.
That breakdown would be released after the pay rises were due to come into effect in late August, a Government spokesman said.
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