PPTA Te Wehengarua members vote to strike

“Our national executive met last night to consider the results from the vote” says Chris Abercrombie, PPTA Te Wehengarua president.  

“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 will refuse to teach certain class levels, from Year 7 – 13, on certain days next week, take part in a full day national strike on 23 October, carry out a ban on extracurricular activity on 29 October and will take part in a full, national, two-hour strike on the afternoon of Wednesday 5 November. 

“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. 

“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. 

“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.” 

Chris Abercrombie said the Government needed to consider the international research released just this week that keeping up with changing requirements was a significant stressor for teachers in Aotearoa. 

He said the Government’s offer also ignored teachers’ claims for more pastoral staffing to help the increasing number of students who had health and emotional needs which were 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.”  

“Despite the offer now lapsing, we have provided it to members and this week they will have the opportunity to provide feedback on it – and how it was made.”  

Schedule of action