An independent review panel has recommended the Government offer secondary teachers greater pay than what has been offered by the Ministry of Education.
The recommendation is for a 6% pay increase which would be back-paid from 3 July this year, a 4% pay rise on 3 April next year and a 3.9% pay rise on 2 December 2024.
Secondary teachers' base salaries would increase by 14.5% over the collective agreement period.
The recommendation is an increase from the Ministry of Education’s offer of 11.1% in total but doesn’t meet the Post Primary Teachers’ Association claim of a total increase of 17.94% over the collective agreement period. It had sought the increase based on actual and forecast increases to the consumers price index, a measure of inflation for New Zealand households.
The recommended pay increase will need to be approved by government ministers when they meet as a Cabinet later this week and accepted by PPTA secondary teacher members.
A pay rise of 14.5% over three years is now being recommended. (Source: 1News)
If this happens, the same pay increases would be offered to primary and kindergarten teachers.
This is because of the unified pay scale measure that was maintained in the latest collective agreements accepted by primary and kindy teachers.
The arbitration review panel included retired High Court Judge Kit Toogood, former Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin and NZ Council of Trade Unions economist Craig Renney.
The panel was established after prolonged negotiations between the Ministry of Education and PPTA came to an impasse.
Other recommendations included a one-off payment of $5000, an increase from the $3000 offered by the Ministry of Education, and professional development funding of $2.5 million per year.
The panel did not making a financial recommendation for teachers fluent in Te Reo Māori, which was sought by PPTA, instead recommending both parties commit to giving priority to addressing this issue.
"The panel recognises that this claim, and the issues related to it, should be given high priority by the parties.
"It does not consider, however, that the parties’ respective views have been sufficiently articulated to enable the panel to make any recommendations for provisions to be included in the new STCA," the panel stated in their recommendations.
The panel is recommending a trial of 335 Community Liaison paid roles for supporting Māori and Pasifika learners instead of similar proposals from both parties.
SHARE ME