Education union says pay talks welcome

Paul Goulter. Photo / Kenny Rodger.

Kindergarten teachers and school support staff yesterday welcomed the Government's decision to begin negotiations next week on new collective employment agreements.

The previous agreements expired at the end of February, and the sector union, the New Zealand Educational Institute, said there had been ongoing delays in getting talks started.

NZEI members last week visited 30 coalition Government MPs over the issue.

The union said collective agreements for kindergarten teachers and school support staff would be the first major public sector claims to be bargained under the new National-led Administration.

National secretary Paul Goulter said the negotiations concerning kindergarten teachers would test the Government's commitment to quality in early childhood education.

He said kindergarten teachers wanted their professional status recognised alongside their counterparts in primary and secondary schools.

"If we are to value the importance of quality teaching in early childhood, then kindergarten teachers must retain pay parity with teachers in other sectors."

For school support staff, the talks were an opportunity to address long-standing issues of low pay and job insecurity, Mr Goulter said.

Support staff, such as teacher aides, worked at the frontline of education, he said, but some earned as little as $12.94 an hour, only marginally more than the minimum wage of $12.50.

- NZPA