Payment was for payroll errors, not compensation

Media release

Friday, 26 September

Payment was for payroll errors, not compensation

A report in this morning’s Dominion Post claiming a $252,100 payment to the PPTA included payment for hurt and humiliation is wrong.

The payment to the PPTA was for money owed for underpaid union subscriptions and was no different to payments made to teachers for pay errors. This was a payment that was always due.

As a result of miscalculations by the Novopay payroll system since the system began, membership subscriptions to the PPTA were underpaid, with a total net underpayment of $252,100.

The payment did not contain any amount for “hurt, humiliation and disadvantage” as inferred by the Dominion Post. Nor is the payment the result of any court action.

This is shown in the Ministry’s letter of 30 July to the PPTA which details the elements of the payment.

Teachers mentioned in the Dominion Post story were repaid for pay shortfalls last year. There have been no further payments made by the Ministry of Education as a result of any court action.

We have never accepted the basis for the PPTA claim, and we have made no agreement to settle it.

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