Teachers allege badfaith bargaining

PRIMARY school teachers say government employment negotiations have been conducted in bad faith, with the Ministry of Education not prepared to shift the value of its offer.

The latest round of negotiations by the primary teachers union ended last week with the ministry offering its original package of pay rises, totalling $698 million.

The ministry said the sum could be divided in different ways. The latest offer reduces raises but adds extra noncontact hours.

It has also offered an alternative package combining smaller pay rises with 10 extra hours for teachers to do work outside classes each term.

Paul Goulter, from the New Zealand Educational Institute, said members were unhappy.

‘‘We call that takeitorleaveit bargaining and that’s absolutely not the way negotiations should be conducted.

‘‘It’s condescending and our members absolutely reject it.’’

However, the ministry said its latest offer was ‘‘handsome and competitive’’.

Spokeswoman Ellen MacGregorReid said $698 mil lion was the total amount available, but union demands added up to $2.5 billion.

She said primary school retention rates were high, and the number of people training to be teachers had increased.

The union will vote in two weeks on whether to accept the offer or to strike the same day as a secondary school teachers strike, on April 3. — NZME