Ministry of Education seeks independent facilitated bargaining in response to NZEI Te Riu Roa and NZPPTA industrial action

Source: Ministry of Education

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Please attribute to Iona Holsted, Secretary for Education

This strike action does not offer a solution. Instead it will cause disruption to the learning of many thousands of children and young people, as well as causing significant inconvenience for parents and families. Those with primary-aged children have already had to manage through two previous strikes.

We will be applying to the Employment Relations Authority for an urgent return to facilitated bargaining with NZEI Te Riu Roa to reach a settlement for primary principals and primary teachers. We will also seek to start this process for secondary teachers.

We have invited both NZEI Te Riu Roa and NZPPTA to join in these applications.

We are seeking facilitated bargaining, because it is the strongest form of assistance available to the parties involved to reach a negotiated settlement.

Throughout our ongoing pay discussions we have been willing to discuss options for the combined $1.2 billion settlement. We have also invited both unions to talk about how we can address their time and other concerns outside of the pay talks.

We encourage NZEI Te Riu Roa and NZPPTA’s wider campaigns to recognise the investment the Government has made to date in education, which includes 600 new learning support coordinator roles as part of $500 million for learning support. These coordinators will be trained teachers and will support teachers who are working with children and young people with additional learning needs.

The latest data shows that more people are training to be teachers, more teachers are entering the workforce and more teachers are staying in the profession. The teaching workforce is stable and growing, with over 1,000 more joining our current 70,000 primary and secondary teachers in 2018.

Notes to editors:

The pay offers give around 24,000 teachers a pay rise of around $10,000 within 24 months. Other teachers will get at least 3% pay rises every year for three years.

For more information on the $698 million offer to Primary principals and teachers visit: http://www.education.govt.nz/news/fact-sheet-on-new-offer-to-primary-teachers-and-principals/

For more information on the $496 million offer to Secondary teachers visit: http://www.education.govt.nz/news/our-revised-offer-to-secondary-teachers-factsheet/

Statement on Employment Relations Authority Recommendations - November 2018

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

Collective Bargaining Update - further information

http://www.education.govt.nz/news/collective-bargaining-update/

Our teaching retention rates remain high with the vast majority staying in the profession. This includes over 94% of teachers, and over 80% of beginning teachers still working in the profession after three years. Further information:

http://www.education.govt.nz/news/teacher-supply-update-more-teachers-in-our-classrooms/

ENDS

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