Excellent offer rejected

Excellent offer rejected

The Ministry of Education is extremely disappointed by the PPTA’s decision to reject its latest offer for secondary teachers and resume industrial action.

“The Ministry came back to the table and bargained seriously and in good faith,” said Education Workforce Group Manager Fiona McTavish.

“We made a pay offer that meant more money in the pocket for all secondary teachers, offered to significantly increase the number of Middle Management Allowances, and sought ways to work with the PPTA on issues like class size and health and safety.”

“To have our offer rejected, and be advised that the PPTA plans further one -day strikes, is extremely disappointing,” she said. “We will continue, as we have all along, to urge the PPTA to call off industrial action and return to bargaining.”

The Ministry’s offer to the PPTA included:
• an immediate one-off $1,000 payment to secondary teachers
• an immediate 0.5% increase to base salary rates
• a further 1.9% increase to base salary rates from 1 September 2011
• 3,000 additional Middle Management Allowances worth $1,000 each, or a total of $30 million.

“The immediate payment and base salary increase would equal a pay increase of 1.9% for teachers at the top of the base salary scale, with even higher increases for teachers at other points of the scale,” said Fiona McTavish. “This would be followed by an additional 1.9% increase for all secondary teachers less than 12 months later.”

“The PPTA has walked away from an excellent offer for secondary teachers,” she said.

“They’re causing further disruption to students and families through strike action, including two one-day strikes this week, and are removing any opportunity to make further progress in bargaining.”

“The PPTA’s expectations are not realistic, and their behaviour is not justified,” she said.

ENDS

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