Teachers eye mega-strike
Union bosses will meet this week with the prospect of historic joint primary and secondary school strikes on the cards.
Primary school teachers and principals from much of the North Island downed tools yesterday as part of rolling strike action by New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) members. But the prospect the Post-Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) joining industrial action in a mega strike that would see both secondary and primary school students off school, would up the ante in the teachers’ pay row with the government.
NZEI president Lynda Stuart, speaking at Hamilton’s Te Rapa Racecourse, said members had to decide whether to accept or reject the Education Ministry’s latest offer – valued at almost $700 million.
The latest offer includes a new top pay bracket and the partial removal of a cap on qualifications for some teachers from 2020.
The public reaction to yesterday’s roadside rallies around Hamilton showed teachers continued to enjoy widespread support among the community, Stuart said. If NZEI members vote to reject the Government’s pay offer, they will have the support of the Post-Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA), she said. Union leaders will meet on Friday to discuss each group’s respective pay talks.
‘‘If we decide to show the Ministry their tactic of dragging it out won’t work, we’ll have more strength coming,’’ Stuart said.
‘‘Our PPTA colleagues will possibly be joining us in term one next year in this fight. They’ve got our backs and we have got theirs. So for the first time ever in this country we will see professional unity with primary and secondary united and mobilised.’’
NZEI members will vote in a secret ballot in the next few weeks whether to accept the Government’s offer.
PPTA Waikato regional committee representative Vanessa Tupp said the two unions shared the same goal of wanting to create the best learning environment for children.
‘‘Let’s be fair, this is not the fault of Jacinda Ardern’s Government that we are in this position but it’s their responsibility to fix it,’’ Tupp said.
‘‘It’s taken a decade of underfunding and neglect to get into this mess and we sure as hell can’t wait another decade for the solution to kick in.’’
Talks between the Government and the NZEI collapsed on Thursday night after the union rejected the ministry’s offer to fund a half-day of paid leave to enable consultation with teachers and principals.
ERA facilitator James Crichton said the ministry’s best offer was costed at almost $700m, while the total cost of conceding to the union’s demands would have been about $2.5 billion – a roughly $1.8b gap between the two parties.
Crichton described the ministry’s offer as ‘‘handsome and competitive’’ while the NZEI’s proposals had an ‘‘air of unreality about them’’.
Marcus Freke, principal of Endeavour School, said Crichton wanted to compare NZEI claims with other sectors.
‘‘Our claims are not about relativities with other jobs. Our claims are what we need to fix the crisis in education.’’
Stuart said the Ministry’s latest offer did not address class sizes or teachers’ professional development time outside of the classroom. Roadside rallies were held around Hamilton to coincide with morning rush hour traffic and drew a chorus of toots and cheers from passing motorists.
At Hamilton’s Dinsdale roundabout, staff from three schools – Frankton, Rhode Street and Aberdeen – converged to wave placards and chant rally cries. It’s the second time primary school teachers and principals have walked off the job in the past three months.
The overall mood of yesterday’s rallies, however, was in contrast to strike action in August during which teachers expressed optimism for change in the sector.
‘‘I think what we’re seeing now is a growing frustration because the Government isn’t listening to our concerns,’’ Rhode Street School principal Shane Ngatai said.
‘‘This strike action isn’t about more pay, it’s about large class sizes, overworked teachers, and high needs students not getting the support they need.
‘‘We’re winding up to a busy end of the year with teachers writing end-of-year reports but it’s hard for them to find time when they’re looking after 38 to 40 children.’’
Education Minister Chris Hipkins has said there will be no more money to put on the table.
Ngatai said he was struggling to fill teaching vacancies or find relievers to allow him to release teachers from their classrooms. Last term he advertised twice for a teaching position and got no applicants. Frankton Primary School principal Kirsten Ratana said teachers need one day a week release from their classrooms to prepare their learning programmes and achieve a work-life balance. Currently, primary school teachers receive two days a term.
‘‘Teachers need more release time so as to ease the impact on their own time and achieve better health and well-being,’’ Ratana said.