Hon Chris Carter
Education Spokesperson

4 March 2009 Media Statement
Tolley confirms she is not committed to pay parity

In Parliament today Education Minister Anne Tolley refused to endorse pay parity between teachers in different parts of the education sector.

“This is a serious new development and will have profound implications for the education of our children and for teachers at all levels,” says Labour’s Education Spokesperson Chris Carter.

Equal pay for equal qualifications was agreed to improve recruitment and retention of quality teachers, and to provide incentives for primary teachers to improve their qualifications. Parity between primary and secondary teachers was achieved firstly, then the Labour-led government extended parity to kindergarten teachers. This was achieved with a series of five pay increases spread over four years and full parity was realised in 2006.

The new National-led Government has finally agreed to begin negotiations with the NZEI over the Kindergarten Teachers Collective Agreement, which actually expired on 28 February.

“To preserve the principle of parity degree-qualified kindergarten teachers should be entitled to the same 4% salary increase that degree-qualified primary teachers are set to receive in June,” says Mr Carter. “Now it seems kindergarten teachers will have to negotiate within a new framework of inequality where pay parity is no longer safe. This sends an immediate message that the Education Minister doesn’t value kindy teachers or the children they’re educating. This can only have a negative impact on the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers in the kindergarten sector.”

“Next year the issue of pay parity between primary and secondary teachers is likely to come up and Mrs Tolley’s action today may well result in serious industrial action in the education sector.

“I urge Mrs Tolley not to sabotage the principle of pay parity. The Minister needs to immediately send a strong message about the value of well-trained teachers who are valued, respected, and paid accordingly.”

ENDS

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