Ministry response to NZEI Ballot Result

Ministry response to NZEI Ballot Result

Please attribute to Iona Holsted, Secretary for Education

The Ministry welcomes the vote taken by primary teachers, which is resoundingly in favour of settling their collective agreement.

Primary teachers and principals told us that to retain and attract people into the profession and stabilise the workforce we needed to restore pay parity for teachers.

We’ve listened and acted. Thirty thousand primary teachers will now benefit from significant pay increases, with maximum base salaries rising to $90,000 from July 2021.

We look forward to progressing the Accord with NZEI, to resolve complex issues in the education system, such as workload and the future education workforce, that teachers also want addressed.

We’re disappointed primary principals have rejected the substantial offer made to them.

In rejecting the offer, over 1900 primary principals have walked away from an immediate $1500 payment and pay rises on 1 July of up to 13 percent for over 500 principals. These principals are in our smaller schools of fewer than 100 students. Principals in these schools would have moved to a minimum salary of $102,898 after three years - an extra $15,000.

In addition to these 500:

-Over 900 principals would have moved from a current salary of between $118,863 and $128,805 to a minimum salary of between $132,376 and $142,866 after three years - about $14,000 extra.

-Another 270 principals would have moved from a current salary of at least $134,428 with a minimum increase to $149,458 after three years - an extra $15,000.

-For principals of larger schools the increase after three years would have been considerably higher.

Pay parity between primary and secondary principals is a much more complex issue than it is between teachers. Under the Accord, we have already agreed to discuss the extent to which pay parity might be applied to principals.

We remain available to meet with NZEI to discuss how the offer could be repackaged within the existing envelope for primary principals.

Notes to editors

Examples of what primary principals stood to gain from the offer

Note that extra allowances may also be available for many principals

-A principal of a very small school (about 10 students) receives a minimum salary of $87,734. On 1 July 2019 they would have moved to a salary of $91,504. After three years they would have received a minimum salary of $102,898.

-A principal of a mid-size school (about 220 students) receives a minimum salary of $118,863. On 1 July 2019 they would have moved to a salary of $122,104. After three years they would have received a minimum salary of $132,376.

-A principal of a large school (about 600 students) receives a minimum salary of $134,428. On 1 July 2019 they would have moved to a salary of $138,639. After three years they would have received a minimum salary of $149,458.

Background Information on the Offers

Terms of Settlement - Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement

http://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/School/Collective-Employment-Agreements/Primary-Teachers-Collective-Agreement/PTCA-2019-2022-ToS-Signed.pdf

Terms of Settlement - Primary Principals’ Collective Agreement

http://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/School/Collective-Employment-Agreements/Primary-Principals-Collective-Agreement/PPCA-2019-2022-ToS-Signed.pdf

Collective Agreement Offers for Primary Teachers and Principals, Secondary Teachers and Area School Teachers

http://www.education.govt.nz/news/collective-bargaining-fact-sheet-13-june-2019/

ENDS

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