Teachers and Govt back in talks

Protesting teachers. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Contract talks are back on between secondary school teachers and the Government in a "last chance" to resolve an impasse before the school's year end.

But a planned one-day strike next Thursday will still go ahead for now.

Teachers rejected the Ministry of Education's latest pay offer last month, announcing further strike action unless the ministry offered more money.

But after informal discussions this week "indicated progress", the Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) said today it would resume collective agreement bargaining on Monday.

President Kate Gainsford said there appeared to be progress on three "pivotal" items - teacher conditions around things like class size and hours, security of the collective agreement without clawbacks, and pay.

It was the last opportunity to reach a settlement that could be ratified this year, she said.

She said teachers decided to keep Thursday's rostered home day on in the meantime.

"The option of calling off the action and then calling it back on if progress was less than satisfactory was deemed unnecessarily disruptive," she said.

"Whatever is achieved at the table next week will give clarity about the way forward - either we will be running a ratification ballot or we will be consulting about what further industrial actions members are prepared to take next year," she said.

- NZPA