The Pigeonhole

The Wellington High School PPTA branch unanimously passed the following resolution today:

"That the WHS PPTA branch supports the NZEI Support Staff claim against the Ministry of Education's offer."

Support staff are grossly underpaid and their skilled work allows us to focus on the learning needs of our students. Support Staff do not get paid during any of the school holidays and very few get any school time for professional development. They are largely expected to do it in their own time.

WHS would like other schools to support our colleagues and write to the Minister, Ministry of Education and NZEI as we are doing.

NZEI Fair Deal for Support Staff campaign

(posted on behalf of WHS PPTA branch)

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Proof that you can do anything with words.  Anything at all.  The following magnificent sentence comes from the Government explanatory notes on changes to the ERA:
[On union access to workplaces]   “Providing more discretion to employers over how and when unions can access workplaces could result in stronger working relationships between employers and unions because employers would feel more in control of who is visiting, and when.”
Don’t you think that’s clever?
And if unions were banned altogether, ooooh, just think how strong the working relationship would be! 

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I have been playing around with the Reserve Bank Inflation Calculator and it has thrown up some interesting statistics.

My calculations show that teachers rather than being disconnected have been sidelined.  Mr Key says we have had significant pay increases over the last 10 years however what is significant is the fact that this has been insignificant in real terms when adjusted for inflation.

Compared are 2000 at top of basic scale $50300 with 2010 top of basic scale $68980

Salary  for 2010:

2000 - 2010 CPI adjusted is $65,000
2000 - 2010 Wage increases adjusted is $70,750
2000 - 2010 Food price increases adjusted is $69,000
2000 - 2010 Housing price increase adjusted is $105,000

Averaging these out is $77,000

Salaries have kept pace with food but that is it. In real terms secondary school teachers' salaries are barely keeping up with inflation.
In terms of food and housing someone teaching in 2000 would need to be earning $87,000 in 2010 just to keep pace with inflation.

Actually no New Zealand Government has given secondary teachers a decent pay increase in the last decade. So far it has been a catch up for inflation. Increases in productivity (NCEA workload etc ) have NOT been rewarded.

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PPTA members rejected the Ministry of Education (MOE) pay offer of 1.5% and 1% with clawbacks on existing teaching conditions.

Teachers also expressed frustration and disappointment with the MOE's refusal to negotiate on any of the improved conditions they requested. 

Here's a calculation that works with the one thing the MOE actually offered teachers - the so-called pay rise.

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You will all be aware by now of the employment law changes announced at the weekend.

 It is our understanding that all these changes are subject to the full select committee process but they can at any time invoke urgency as they did in December 2008. 

These changes come on top of the original 90 day law in December 2008 rushed through under urgency, the limits being proposed to how unions conduct strike ballots, the requirement to agree on meal and refreshment break times, the axing of the Pay and Employment Equity Unit, the cut in union education funding, and the cuts in ACC entitlements.

Below we briefly summarise the changes announced which, in almost all cases, unions will oppose.

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