Teacher union expects offer today

WELLINGTON: Highschool teachers say they are expecting a new pay offer from the Government today as their primaryschool colleagues continue mediation over their own pay claim.

Post Primary Teachers’ Association president Jack Boyle said his executive would meet by teleconference at 7pm today to consider any new offer before secondary teachers begin stopwork meetings around the country tomorrow.

‘‘At our conference last month we rejected the offer that we had.

‘‘We also set a line in the sand that November 6 was when we would expect an improved offer to take to paid union meetings,’’ he said.

‘‘We haven’t got one at this point. This is really going down to the wire.’’

However, the Ministry of Education may struggle to meet the deadline because it is still in mediation with the primary teachers’ union, the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI),

and is likely to try to make similar offers to both unions.

Mediation with the NZEI began in the Employment Relations Authority in Wellington yesterday morning and adjourned just before 5pm. It will continue today.

NZEI members have voted for full oneday regional strikes next week, starting in Auckland on Monday and ending in Wellington on Friday, after rejecting the Education Ministry’s last offer of a 9.3% pay rise over three years.

The two sides are still far apart on pay.

The NZEI is seeking a 16% pay rise over two years.

The Government also has not publicly offered anything yet on other NZEI staffing claims, such as reducing the teacher/ student ratio in years 4 to 8 from 1:29 to 1:25.

Secondary teachers are seeking an immediate 15% pay rise plus a housing allowance of up to $100 a week in Auckland, Tauranga and Queenstown.

They have so far been offered only the same 9.3% pay rise over three years that has been offered to NZEI and has already been agreed with nurses and police officers.

Auckland Secondary School Principals’ Association president Richard Dykes said most high schools would have to cancel classes for secondary teachers’ stopwork meetings which begin at 1.30pm tomorrow in Manukau and Central Otago.

‘‘Most students will be allowed to go home. There will be no classes from about 12.30pm,’’ he said.

Ministry of Education deputy secretary Ellen MacGregor-Reid declined to comment on any new offer for secondary teachers.