Employment Court vindicates NZEI on support staff annualisation ruling

19 August 2016

The Employment Court has upheld the Employment Relations Authority’s ruling that the Ministry of Education was incorrect in its decision to cut the fortnightly pay of around 6000 school support staff this year.

The Ministry had challenged the ERA’s April ruling in favour of NZEI Te Riu Roa, and NZEI National Secretary Paul Goulter said the decision was a vindication of the members’ claim that support staff had been treated unjustly.

The Ministry unilaterally decided to reduce the pay of 6000 annualised* school support staff by 3.7% for all of 2016 because of a payroll anomaly that sees an extra fortnight in the payroll every 11 years.

Judge Bruce Corkill has directed the two parties to have further discussion to resolve the issue and will make direction regarding costs after two months if the parties have not reached agreement.

Mr Goulter said it was frustrating that the Ministry had dragged the case out for so long while so many low-paid support staff were struggling under reduced incomes.

“We hope that the Ministry will now accept that it was in the wrong to try to stretch a year’s pay over 27 fortnightly payments and work with us to find a fair resolution for these employees as quickly as possible, including restoring their lost pay,” he said.

ENDS

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