Teachers to vote on industrial action

File photo / Martin Sykes

Secondary teachers throughout the country will attend paid union meetings on August 24 and 25 to decide the next step in the Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) collective agreement campaign.

Negotiations broke down last week after members of the association overwhelmingly rejected the Ministry of Education's offer.

"The ministry continues to undervalue teachers and shows little indication it wishes to achieve a ratifiable settlement," PPTA president Kate Gainsford said today.

Members would now be asked to consider a range of options, including industrial action, she said.

"We are at a critical stage in our campaign to protect public education and get a fair and reasonable deal for teachers and students."

Ms Gainsford said an improved offer would need to deal with PPTA's claims to ensure safer school learning environments and better learning conditions for students, removal of all attacks on current provisions and offer a salary that valued the vital work of secondary teachers and supported recruitment and retention.

"It is bitterly disappointing that, after many hours of bargaining, the ministry still does not understand these issues.

"It's all very well to say 'come back to the bargaining table' but unless a more constructive approach is used and a much better offer presented, it will just be a matter of going through the motions, and we've been through them."

Ms Gainsford said that the PPTA would know by August 30 the course of action members had decided and a further announcement would be made then.

- NZPA