Stats show govt picking on teachers and tutors

Stats show govt picking on teachers and tutors

The government is using education professionals as the blunt club to suppress wages in New Zealand, says TEU national president Lesley Francey, in response to news that pay for education professionals rose just 0.7 percent last year compared to 1.7 percent average pay rises for all workers.

"The government controls the purse strings and the bargaining parameters of employment negotiations for people working in education and we believe it is using those people to drive down average pay," says Lesley Francey

Statistics New Zealand Data released today show that wages and salaries for public sector workers working in education and training grew just 0.7 percent in the year to June 2013. That was the smallest pay rise for any industry group in either the public or private sector. Pay for private sector workers working in the education and training sector grew 1.1 percent. Overall wages and salaries rose 1.7 percent.

"Tens of thousands of education professionals see their pay stagnate because the government will not invest to pay them properly. The government wants to cut its costs and send a message to other employers to do the same. The people who suffer are the professional people who look after our students all around the country," says Lesley Francey.
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