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Labour Promise To Extend Sick Leave Will Have Huge Impact In Early Childhood Education
NZEI Te Riu Roa is welcoming Labour's announcement today that it would double minimum sick leave entitlements to 10 days per year if returned to Government.
President Liam Rutherford says inadequate sick leave is an issue across the education sector, particularly in early childhood where many teachers only receive the statutory minimum of five days’ sick leave.
"This is a great win for our members, who backed the Council of Trade Unions’ 10,000-strong petition to the government earlier this month calling for an increase in mandated sick leave allowances for workers," he says.
"Illness spreads extremely quickly between children, teachers and whānau. Increased sick leave means that if teachers or whānau get sick, they'll be able to stay home and stop the spread rather than feel they have to keep working to pay the bills," he says.
"Safer sick leave provisions would promote safer environments for our tamariki, both at home and in their schools and centres."
NZEI Te Riu Roa has also welcomed Labour's commitment to raise the legal minimum wage to $20 per hour in 2021.
NZEI Te Riu Roa
New Zealand Educational Institute
NZEI Te Riu Roa members work in every community in New Zealand, leading and advocating for quality public education.
We are the 50,000 principals, teachers and support staff who work in primary, area and secondary schools as well as early childhood centres, special education and school advisory services. We come together as NZEI Te Riu Roa - New Zealand's largest education union, a Treaty based organisation and a powerful advocate for quality public education.
We have the most important job in New Zealand - educating for the future.
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