Primary teachers, principals, school support staff and MoE learning support specialists are taking the rare and major move of coming together in joint paid union meetings later this month, after teachers received an offer of a 1% pay increase last week*.
The decision to collectively organise at paid union meetings between 18–29 August follows similarly disappointing offers from the Ministry to settle collective agreements across the primary education sector, primary teacher spokesperson, Liam Rutherford says:
“Across the sector, educators want to be valued, supported and respected. The Ministry's offer doesn’t even come close to addressing the key claims and issues primary teachers put forward. We asked the Ministry for 8% in the first year to recognise what we lost when they scrapped our pay equity claims, and in turn they’re essentially asking us to take a pay cut.”
“It’s also disappointing there’s no reference to our Toitū Te Tiriti claim, and very little to address the extra other pay-related claims that recognise the additional expertise or responsibilities of primary teachers."
Principal leader Martyn Weatherill says: “It’s clear that school leaders are feeling inadequately supported, undervalued and disrespected. Having honest and open discussions about our pay and working conditions at union meetings is a step towards driving the change we need.”
Support staff leader Ally Kingi says: “It’s been a hard ‘no’ from support staff to three lacklustre offers from the Ministry. The latest – $1 after three years, well below inflation – made us feel undervalued and unappreciated. Between these offers and scrapping our pay equity review, we don’t feel the Government recognises or values us as a professional workforce.”
Speech language therapist Conor Fraser says: “Learning support specialists felt we had no option but to strike last week. We told the Ministry our main issues: children sitting on waiting lists for too long, inadequate staffing, and that we’re working an unsustainable amount of overtime. We are glad mediation resulted in a new offer but it remains to be seen if members feel it adequately addresses our issues.”
“We would rather be in the jobs we love and think are so important – supporting tamariki with additional needs – but we need the Ministry to listen to us: children need more support, and so do we.”
Note:
*1%+1%+1% a year over the next three years.
Union members are entitled to attend two 2-hour paid union meetings a year, while keeping schools open. There will be more than 120 paid union meetings around the country between 18 – 29 August.