Primary teachers and principals have voted in favour of a three-hour work stoppage in August and are now discussing whether to extend the strike to a full day.
The New Zealand Educational Institute released a statement today saying the strike action will take place on August 15.
Principals will be meeting with the Ministry of Education in further negotiations over the coming weeks to try and reach a settlement that addresses the issues that principals and teachers have raised.
They are asking for more time to teach and lead, more support for children with additional learning needs and say they need a pay jolt to stem the teacher shortage.
According to NZEI at packed paid union meetings over the past two weeks, primary principal and teacher members of NZEI Te Riu Roa expressed their anger at the Ministry of Education’s pay offers.
They say the offer was far from the 16 per cent over two years that members had identified as being necessary to address recruitment and retention issues that had grown during the term of the previous National government.
The lead negotiator for teachers, Liam Rutherford, said there was a growing sense that the current crisis would become a disaster if the Government did not get serious about the issues facing the profession.
"At many of the meetings, members felt that a stoppage from 1.30-4.30pm did not send a strong enough message, and there were many calls for the strike to be for a full day.
"In response, NZEI’s National Executive is now calling for member feedback on whether to extend the strike, which may result in an electronic ballot being held at the beginning of next term," he said.
The lead negotiator for principals, Louise Green, said teachers and principals were very conscious of the inconvenience for students and families, "but we’re taking action now to avert the very real threat of larger class sizes within just a few years."
NZEI will be meeting with the Ministry in further negotiations over the coming weeks to try and reach a settlement that addresses the issues that principals and teachers have raised.
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