PPTA Te Wehengarua members who teach in secondary and area schools throughout Aotearoa New Zealand have strongly endorsed strike action in response to a lack of progress with their collective agreement negotiations.
“The national executive met to consider the results from the vote,” Chris Abercrombie, PPTA Te Wehengarua president, says.
“Ten minutes before we were due to meet, the Government presented us with another offer for settlement of the Secondary Teachers’ Collective Agreement – with a condition it would lapse if strike action was notified.
“As we have not had any bargaining since early September, to present an offer in this way was rushed and poorly thought out on the Government’s part. However, Executive did them the courtesy of considering it. I’m sorry to say that in several ways it was worse than the previous offer, so we have proceeded with calling the strike action.”
The strike action involves about 21,000 secondary and area school teachers. Teachers have refused to teach certain class levels – from Year 7 – 13 – on certain days, will take part in a full day national strike on October 23, carry out a ban on extracurricular activity on October 29 and will take part in a full, national, two-hour strike on the afternoon of November 5.
“The pay increase being offered is still below current and projected rates of inflation and the offer fails to address the issues that are at the heart of our claims,” Abercrombie says.
“We need salaries and conditions that will attract people into teaching and keep our skilled and experienced teachers in the profession, particularly as we face once in a generation reforms of our secondary school curriculum and qualifications systems.”
Abercrombie says the Government needs to consider the Teaching and Learning International Survey released last week which found that keeping up with changing requirements was a significant stressor for teachers in Aotearoa.
He says the Government’s offer ignors teachers’ claims for more pastoral staffing to help the increasing number of students who have health and emotional needs which are preventing them from engaging fully with learning.
“Getting such help must be part and parcel of a quality education. We want more pastoral care staff in our schools to ensure that those students are able to achieve and thrive.
“We are currently hundreds of teachers short which means that thousands of students are being taught by teachers who are not specialists in the relevant subject, and we have seen students being sent home this year because there are simply not enough teachers to take classes.
Schedule of action
| Date | Action |
| Tuesday 14 October | Partial strike – Do not teach Y7& 9 and relief ban |
| Wednesday 15 October | Partial strike – Do not teach Y8 & 10 and relief ban |
| Thursday 16 October | Partial strike – Do not teach Y11&12 and relief ban |
| Friday 17 October | Partial strike – Do not teach Y13 and relief ban |
| Thursday 23 October | Full strike – nation-wide one day strike |
| Wednesday 29 October | Partial strike – ban on extracurricular activity |
| Wednesday 5 November | Full strike – nation-wide strike from 1.15 – 3.15pm |
ENDS
