Instructors put jails on notice

About 170 instructors at prisons have given notice of industrial action over what they describe as an "insulting" pay offer from the Department of Corrections.

The instructors, who belong to the Corrections Association of NZ, teach prisoners skills that will assist them on their release.

They issued notice of industrial action before Christmas after more than 18 months of bargaining but the action was withdrawn when the department agreed to mediation.

The union says instructors were offered a 3 per cent pay rise in return for doing away with a bonus system worth about 5 per cent - in effect a 2 per cent pay cut.