Secondary teachers have accepted the Government's latest collective pay agreement offer, increasing pay by about 14.5%.
The PPTA union announced this afternoon that its members had ratified the deal.
"I'm delighted that PPTA Te Wehengarua members have shown such strong support for our new collective agreement," acting president Chris Abercrombie said.
"Members' collective, determined and sustained action this year ensured that we received a much improved offer via arbitration than what we were offered in negotiations."
Secondary teachers had been striking to get pay increases and to get more staff in schools.
"There are still significant issues around secondary teacher recruitment in particular that need to be addressed, but today is for celebrating," Abercrombie said.
"Secondary teachers can now get on with the vital business of teaching and learning in a settled environment – something they have been wanting to do for a long time."
The Government's funding pool for the first five years of the latest teacher and principal collective agreements has risen to $4.4 billion, because of the accepted 14.5% pay rises which will now be offered to teachers across the sector.
This compares to the last education collective agreements which came into force in 2019 with funding of $3.18 billion set aside, although the exact cost will vary due to changes in student numbers and teacher numbers and qualifications, according to the Ministry of Education.
'These increases will help'
Education Minister Jan Tinetti welcomed the news.
"The Chris Hipkins Government values teachers, which is why in very tight fiscal conditions we have prioritised improvements to their pay and conditions," she said. "This is one of the most significant pay increases New Zealand secondary teachers have ever received.
"As a result of this settlement 67% of secondary teachers in New Zealand will earn a base salary of more than $100,000 a year, making teaching the well-paid job it should be.
"These increases recognise the great work that secondary teachers do, day in and day out, with their students and their whānau, and in their communities."
And the deal will also benefit the workforce in another way as well, Tinetti added.
"These increases will help attract, and keep, the teachers we need," she said.
"The settlement also means an end to the disrupted learning that our young people have experienced.
"I know that will come as great news to parents and caregivers and thank them for their patience throughout."
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