After bearing the brunt of underfunding for over five years, Northtec academic staff are saying no more.

Members of Te Hautū Kahurangi | New Zealand Tertiary Education Union voted yesterday to begin a strike ballot next week over what they saw as a disrespectful salary offer from their employer.

Organiser, Jill Jones, says the staff who teach everything from the trades to hospitality, literacy to accounting, just want their employer to show them some respect.

“Teaching staff in Tai Tokerau are some of the lowest paid in the country. This has a negative impact on them and their families, but also the broader community.”

“In this week’s meeting, staff spoke about the fact that they can get better money back in their primary professions such as a being a mechanic, nurse, or business manager in a company. Staff have stayed because they know the transformational power of education and want to help students, their families, and communities.”
But goodwill is wearing thin.

As well as stepping up around salaries, staff at Northtec want their employer to work with them to challenge the government on the funding model which has seen constant restructuring, low wages, and cuts to courses for students over the last decade.

Northtec staff will take part in a national day of action on 20 November to press home the need for both their employer and the government to step up around the funding to the sector.

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