Kindy teachers' stop-work meetings continue

Kindergarten teachers around the country continued rolling two-hour stop-work meetings today, after mediation last week failed to solve their contracts dispute.

The stop-work meetings started on Monday and will continue until Friday.

The teachers, who are members of the New Zealand Educational Institute Union, have been voting whether to go on strike for a full day on Thursday, December 8.

NZEI national president Colin Tarr told NZPA today they had no indication which way the votes were going.

"(But) there is strong support for further action if necessary in terms of endeavouring to resolve the very significant concerns that the teachers have."

He said issues at the heart of the union's dispute were the need for term breaks for teachers, a proposal to increase the contact time they had with children, and recognition of the extra responsibilities of head and senior teachers.

Negotiations began in August between NZEI, the Ministry of Education, New Zealand Kindergartens Incorporated and the New Zealand Federation of Free Kindergartens for a collective agreement covering 1630 teachers.

- NZPA