Please attribute to Ellen MacGregor-Reid, Deputy Secretary Early Learning & Student Achievement

NZEI members have voted to reject almost $700 million in pay increases.

Under these rejected offers, more than 30,000 primary teachers would have received a 3% pay rise every year for three years, and access to higher maximum steps in the pay scale.

As well, they were also offered the option to either bring forward access to the new top pay step by 12 months, or have extra classroom release time. The first option would have seen 9,700 primary teachers (around 30%) get $6,973 more in their pay after 12 months, increasing to almost $10,000 (an annual salary of $85,481) after 24 months. The second option was for 10 hours of additional classroom release time for the majority of teachers, every year for three years.

For primary principals the option offered was for at least 3% pay rises every year for three years, along with additional classroom release time for over 600 principals of smaller schools (up to 100 students).

There has been good progress to ensure there is a supply of qualified primary school teachers to meet demand. There is a substantial Government education work programme underway outside the collective bargaining process, which will also address NZEI’s concerns. This includes removing National Standards and nearly $500 million funding increase in Learning Support.

We remain available to negotiate with the NZEI over how the almost $700 million available to settle the primary teachers’ and principals’ collectives is best apportioned, and to discuss how other aspects of their claims may be considered over time.

Notes to editors:

The total cost of the revised Ministry of Education offer is $698 million over four years, which is $129 million more than the previous offer made in September 2018.

Factsheet on new offer to primary teachers and principals http://www.education.govt.nz/news/fact-sheet-on-new-offer-to-primary-teachers-and-principals/

Statement on Employment Relations Authority recommendations http://www.education.govt.nz/news/statement-on-employment-relations-authority-recommendations/

ENDS

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