Government provides a better deal for state teachers on transfer

A contract just signed with a big carrying company means there’ll be a better deal next year for many state primary teachers and principals on transfer.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard says the contract with New Zealand Van Lines to provide teachers and principals with a national transfer and removals service in 2002 will lead to savings estimated at $300,000.

“This means we can afford to be more generous with reimbursements of transfer and removal costs for state primary teachers and principals and for those taking up their first permanent teaching jobs,” Trevor Mallard said.

“It also means we will be able to untangle a lot of the administrative red tape that schools and teachers have had to go through when they’ve been arranging transfers.”

From next year, all state primary school teachers and principals eligible for transfer and removal expenses under their employment contracts will get back 100% of the applicable costs. This will bring them into line with secondary teachers.

Primary teachers taking up their first permanent appointments next year will get back 100% of the expenses to which they are entitled, compared with the current reimbursement rate of 40%. Any improvement to reimbursements for secondary teachers taking up their first permanent jobs will depend on the outcome of the current contract negotiations.

“The contract with NZ Van Lines will make everything easier for them,” said Trevor Mallard.

“No longer will they have to mess around getting three quotes. Van Lines will simply go in and do the job. This will mean less stress and greater certainty. They won’t even have to worry about the bill. Van Lines will sent that directly to the Ministry of Education.”

About 800 state teachers a year are eligible for transfer and removal expenses. This year, the cost of those transfers plus that of teachers taking up their first permanent jobs totalled $2.25 million.

ENDS

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