Secondary school stalemate

By DITA DE BONI education reporter

The secondary teachers' union, the PPTA, has been battling the Ministry of Education for 14 months.

Roughly 14,000 of the 17,000 secondary teachers belong to the union, the Post Primary Teachers Association.

In March last year it tabled its first claim for an extra $7500 over three years for all teachers, more non-contact hours and 600 more teachers a year for three years.

The Government offered 380 more teachers, evenly split between primary and secondary schools, plus a 3.5 per cent pay rise over two years.

That sparked the first strikes, which began in October. At the end of April, the majority of PPTA members voted to accept the 3.5 per cent rise over two years, plus an allowance of $3500 over three years for administering the new National Certificate (NCEA).

Specified non-contact hours and 1850 extra teachers by 2006 were also agreed to. But while the Government negotiators were mulling this over, some teachers were venting their anger with scattered wildcat strikes.

When the Government came back with its settlement proposal, a breakthrough was hailed.

The PPTA executive endorsed the proposal for 3.5 per cent over two years, an NCEA allowance of $1000 a year, rising to $1500 in 2004 for about 80 per cent of teachers, guaranteed non-contact hours, and the establishment of a ministerial taskforce.

But the PPTA did not figure on 75 per cent of its members rejecting the settlement proposal.

More wildcat strikes ensued, followed by rostering home, with students also venting their frustrations.

Rostering home has been called off, although extra-curricular activities and some NCEA work is on hold.

The PPTA and the Government have resumed negotiations after the PPTA tabled a revised offer last Friday including a proposal for a short-term settlement with an NCEA allowance of about $4500.

The signals are that $3000 backdated for this year plus $3000 next year would be more acceptable.

Pay parity is thought to be why the Government is unwilling to offer the secondary teachers more, and a compromise looks unlikely.

Other parties, other answers

National: Nick Smith

* Immediate cessation of all industrial action by extending current collective contract; grant NCEA allowance of $2000 and include base-pay increase of not less than 3 per cent.

* Postpone NCEA level 2 for year 12 (6th form) next year and establish review of NCEA workload and implementation levels.

* Halt plans to award kindergarten teachers pay parity with secondary teachers.

Act New Zealand: Donna Awatere Huata

* Bigger cash payout - teacher earning $40,000 will receive an immediate $670 boost, or $134 more than the current offer.

* Funding devolved to schools, so individual communities pay "good" teachers more. "Parents, teachers and principals regain the power currently wielded by unionists and bureaucrats."

* Scrap NCEA and bring in internationally comparable qualifications for entry into tertiary education.

Green Party: Ian Ewen-Street

* Immediately settle dispute by increasing pay and conditions - more than Government offering but won't be specific - to ensure reasonable catch-up for "declining conditions of recent years".

* Review workloads at all levels.

* Full job evaluation to determine job size and value and negotiate appropriate pay rates.

* Write off one year's student debt for every year a graduate works in NZ, reintroduce universal living allowance and cut tertiary costs.

Alliance: Liz Gordon

* Immediate resolution plus long-term solution needed - causes lie in 15 years of sinking-lid pay policies plus "huge" workload increases.

* Immediate settlement - best way is acceptable NCEA allowance for all on top of pay and other claims already agreed.

* Form workload commission to urgently examine workloads, effect of NCEA, pay levels, recruiting and retention.

* Automatic inflation adjustment for wages from next year.

New Zealand First: Brian Donnelly

* Prioritise staff increases for secondary schools for NCEA implementation.

* Offer greater percentage increase in salaries - even 1 or 2 per cent above inflation.

* Retain NCEA allowance at current offer.

* Insist that package would be agreed to only if new system of pay settlements can be devised.

* Any new offer would be backdated to expiry of last contract only if there is no further withdrawal of teaching.

Progressive Coalition: Jim Anderton

* Streamline wage settlement process, plus immediate review of further NCEA implementation.

* Independent process to set fair conditions against agreed standards (such as "fair comparability").

* Urgent review of NCEA. While the qualification is "excellent in principle, the experience this year is that internal assessment has raised important concerns which should be addressed immediately".

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