Secondary teachers union rejects lowest pay offer ever
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The secondary teachers union has rejected a pay offer of one percent a year for three years.
RNZ understands it is one of the lowest offers ever made to secondary teachers.
The offer to members of the Post Primary Teachers Association amounts to a three percent pay rise over three years.
That is well below the 14.5 percent over three years
won through arbitration
in 2023 and the average 10 percent over three years the union's members
grudgingly accepted
in 2019.
Both of those settlements also included lump sum payments.
The government's offer this year also sought to increase the number of days outside term time that schools can require teachers to come to work from 10 to 20 each year.
The Public Service Commissioner, Sir Brian Roche, was overseeing this year's negotiations.
In May he announced he would retain the responsibility usually delegated to the Education Ministry.
"My rationale for this decision is influenced by the wider objective of overseeing collective bargaining and managing fiscal pressures across the public sector," he said at the time.
Sir Brian was disappointed the PPTA had rejected the pay offer and urged the union to reconsider.
He said the offer was carefully crafted to recognise the contribution teachers make while ensuring it was affordable for taxpayers in a difficult economic times.
"The offer on the table represented a 3 percent increase over three years, on top of annual pay progression of between 4.5 percent and 7.5 percent," he said.
"For many secondary teachers, this equates to pay increases between $3100 and $8000 a year, with regular annual progression included. Over three years the offer provides increases of between $1850 to $3123, or between $7275 and $15250 with annual pay progression.
"The economic environment and the government's fiscal position are very difficult. Every additional dollar spent must be weighed against what is sustainable and fair to all New Zealanders.
"I am open to continued dialogue and am committed to reaching a settlement that supports teachers, students, and our public school system."
The Educational Institute Te Riu Roa (NZEI) started negotiation of the primary teachers collective agreement last month.
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