PPTA to stick to its guns, despite threatened legal action

1.00pm

The secondary school teachers' union will stick to its guns on consulting members over arbitration despite threatened legal action, president Jen McCutcheon said today.

The Government last night told teachers to bring forward their decision on whether or not to go into arbitration, or face legal action from school trustees.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard said the Post Primary Teachers Association had until noon today to agree to reach a decision on independent arbitration by Saturday.

The School Trustees Association (STA) had told Mr Mallard late yesterday it intended going to the Employment Court seeking to have the teachers' strike declared illegal and, if that succeeded, an injunction to stop it.

Mr Mallard said on Monday the Government would accept the outcome of proposed independent arbitration, which would be non-binding on the PPTA.

However, the PPTA refused to call off strikes planned for this week while it waits for confirmation from its 14,000 members about whether the dispute should go to a third party to seek a resolution.

"It's clear from executive members, individual members and branches who have contacted us today that the current timeline for consultation is working very well," Mrs McCutcheon said this afternoon.

She said teachers were dismayed by the apparent heavy-handedness of the ultimatum set by Mr Mallard.

"His Government's employment legislation gives workers the right to be consulted on issues affecting their employment agreements and due processes to be followed during such consultation.

"His demands seem to have completely overridden that and caused a tremendous amount of anger among secondary teachers."

Year 13 (Form 7) students were "rostered home" yesterday, with Year 12 students at home today and year 11 tomorrow as the PPTA's rolling strike action continues. It is planned to culminate in the closure of all secondary schools on July 26, the day before the election.

Earlier today, Mrs McCutcheon described the threatened legal action as a "bullying tactic" which could only inflame a very tense situation.

"This has got the potential to undermine their decision to go into arbitration. It could incite them, and I wouldn't be surprised if it did," she said.

STA president Chris France disputed allegations of bullying and told NZPA the organisation was reacting to trustees' concerns. He said the STA had been exploring legal options over the past week and Mr Mallard had no involvement in its decision.

He said while legal action was being taken to determine the situation, it wasn't unreasonable to ask for a halt on industrial action.

"That's the heart of it. There's no attempt to do anything else. Talk of saying we're trying to bully people is nonsense."

Teachers want a pay rise and an annual $3000 allowance over two years to compensate for the extra work involved in implementing the new National Certificate of Educational Achievement.

Green Party co-leader Rod Donald described Mr Mallard's ultimatum as heavy-handed bullying.

"He's issued a Saturday deadline in the same way as a gunslinger challenging his victim to a high noon showdown," Mr Donald said in a statement.

"The PPTA is polling its members on arbitration and that process will be finished by Tuesday. After all these months, why is Mr Mallard suddenly showing such a burst of enthusiasm?

"Surely the prospect of industrial action just days out from an election hasn't prompted this extraordinary ultimatum."

Neither Mr Mallard nor Mr France were immediately available to comment on the PPTA's rejection of the ultimatum.

- NZPA