Employment Relations Authority recommends primary school teachers accept pay offer

  • 10/11/2018

The Employment Relations Authority has said most teachers will get at least $9500 more a year by accepting the Ministry of Education's final offer.

It's recommending teachers accept the offer.

Teachers will be considering the pay offer during meetings held as part of rolling strikes next week.

"We have always said we would take any recommendations and offers back to members, and that is exactly what will happen next week," NZEI President Lynda Stuart said in a statement. 

"It will be up to them to decide whether the offers are sufficient to fix the education crisis."

At a press conference on Friday Education Minister Chris Hipkins said he was disappointed with teachers' decision to strike.

"Well the government has done absolutely everything we can to avoid this strike, I'm disappointed the union are going ahead with the strike anyway.

"There aren't many work forces in New Zealand at the moment that would be taking strike over a $10,000 pay rise because if they think that the Government is going to continue to offer more and more and more money, then they're out of luck."

Facilitator James Crichton says the parties have worked solidly through four days of bargaining.

He says some teachers will get up to $11,000 extra within two years.

The latest Ministry of Education offer does not address class sizes, which is an issue teachers want to be taken into consideration.

Newhub.