Primary school teachers have rejected the Government’s latest collective agreement offer, saying it failed to meet cost of living pressures or deliver the support they and their students need.
Liam Rutherford, a teacher and NZEI Te Riu Roa primary teacher negotiation lead, says teachers were decisive in voting to reject the second offer.
“Teachers want the best for their students and right now they know they’re unable to give them what they need because they don't have the right conditions.”
“If we want the best for children, we need to attract and retain great teachers, and right now, we’re seeing teachers burn out, leave for Australia or move to work in other professions.”
Rutherford says teachers want increased support in the classroom as the number of children with additional needs rises. They are also concerned about the lack of support to use te reo Māori in their classrooms after the programme to do this, Te Ahu o Te Reo, was axed by Education Minister Erica Stanford.
The latest Government offer failed to match inflation, which sits at 2.7%, and Rutherford says this felt like the last straw for teachers already stretched to the limits.
“The Government has raised the fees of board members of Crown bodies by up to 80%, while making offers to teachers and nurses of 1%. When pushed, the Government came back with a new offer for teachers that still doesn’t match inflation. Teachers and parents keep asking me the same question: Why doesn’t this Government really care about and prioritise New Zealanders’ health and education?”
Primary teachers, along with NZEI Te Riu Roa principals, support staff and Ministry of Education Learning Support specialists and support workers, will now vote on whether to go on strike. The strike ballot will open tomorrow and close on 16 September.
Note to editors:
The pay element of the offer rejected was:
- Teachers on steps 1-8 of the pay scale get flat rate increases of $1,300 this year and $1,200 in the new year, working out at increases of between 2.7% and 4.1% over two years.
- Teachers on step 9 and 10 of the pay scale receive a 2.5% pay increase this year and 2.1% next year.
ENDS