Chris
HIPKINS
Acting Education Spokesperson

21 December 2012 MEDIA STATEMENT

Novopay = Holiday From Hell For Teachers

Hekia Parata may be off enjoying her summer holiday but there’s not much Christmas joy for teachers as they suffer fresh pay problems, says Labour’s Acting Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins.

“For them it’s another pay day, another Novopay no pay.

“It’s not good enough that Ministers are lying on the beach or busy gangsta rapping on radio while thousands of Kiwi teachers wait to be paid what they’re owed. This Government is MIA on Novopay.

“Teachers are quite rightly frustrated that these problems aren’t being sorted out and they certainly could have done without the extra stress in the lead-up to Christmas.

“School principals are this morning reporting problems with holiday pay, part-time teachers not receiving their full pay and staff no longer working at some schools are suddenly getting a pay-check despite being long gone.

“We are also told that schools are considering hiring more administration staff to try and deal with the problems caused by the Novopay system.

“That means spending precious dollars on admin instead of on delivering a world-class education system to our children.

“Rather than sunning themselves on the beach, the responsible Ministers should be in their offices asking serious questions about whether Novopay will ever be able to deliver.

“If they can’t assure New Zealanders the problems are going to be fixed pronto, it’s time for them to pull the pin and get another system in place that will actually work,” said Chris Hipkins.

labour.org.nz

ENDS

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