Media Release – March 2, 2010

Collective agreement discussions ‘complex’ – PPTA 
 

PPTA members will be attending paid union meetings (PUMs) later this month to vote on a number of proposals geared toward developing a claim for the Secondary Teachers Collective Agreement (STCA).

The proposals cover four areas – professional support for teachers, remuneration, good employment conditions and student and teacher learning conditions, PPTA president Kate Gainsford said.

They call for an improved base level remuneration of 4% for a one-year term and a range of further improvements to targeted allowances.

There is also a proposal for an additional 1% employer contribution for those teachers who have only had access to Kiwisaver  - to bring it up to the 3% it was before the Labour-led government closed the Teachers’ Retirement Savings Scheme, in view of a better Kiwisaver scheme being phased in. This was simply a matter of fairness and equity, Gainsford said.

“Our approach is business as usual – for a number of years we have worked to create a stable work and educational environment in the face of a global market for teachers. There is an international shortage of secondary teachers and New Zealanders are highly sought after. We don’t want New Zealand students to suffer by because of an  inability for our schools to compete in this market.

The proposal was a complex one that was developed from an extensive survey of members which  raised a great number of issues, “some of which could be resolved with little or no extra cost,” Gainsford said.

Members identified 10 areas where improvements were needed. Those included a reduction in class sizes to no more than 30 students, greater professional support for teachers and safer working environments.

Other areas focus on fairness across schools, including the provision of laptops and immunisation against contagious diseases - currently some schools pay for these but many don’t.  “We want all teachers to be able to concentrate on providing the best learning environment for their students,” she said. Members will vote on the proposed claim later this month and if it is endorsed it will be lodged in May, Gainsford said.

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