Bay of Plenty educators meet in Tauranga ahead of nationwide strike

Bay of Plenty teachers want better pay, more help in the classroom, support for counsellors and increased sick leave.

To make sure these demands are heard, they are joining more than 50,000 early childhood workers, primary and secondary teachers and principals in a nationwide strike next Thursday.

On Thursday, a national meeting between member leaders from across the education sector workforce was held at Trinity Wharf in Tauranga to discuss the strike.

Andrea Andresen, NZEI Te Riu Roa ki Waiariki Bay of Plenty area council chair, said she would be striking because teachers were having to pay out of their own pockets, health and relationships to meet the needs of the system.

“I want an education system that values and supports all our students to be the best they can be,” Andresen said.

“This requires a system which values and supports teachers to be the best they can be.”

Andresen said the needs of students were becoming increasingly “complex”.

“They have had three years of Covid-19-interrupted education.”

Andresen said improving the non-contact time and support for students with additional needs would help stem the continual stream of teachers leaving the sector.

Andrea Andresen - NZEI Area Council Chair. She is also assistant principal at Tauranga Special School. 10 March 2023 The Bay of Plenty Times Photo / Alex Cairns

NZEI Te Riu Roa representative and Kawerau kindergarten teacher Reweti Elliot said the early childhood sector was “in a stage of crisis”.

“We’ve got over 600 vacancies that we cannot fill. In kindergarten, we’re struggling to find relievers.”

Elliot said NZEI was fighting to remove the pay cap for relievers, recognition for kaiako Māori and extra sick leave.

“In early childhood, we don’t push back. We are not that type of sector but working in the industry that we do, with the workload and responsibilities that we carry we’ve reached out.

“In the past couple of years, we feel like we haven’t been heard.”

Elliot said since the strike was announced on Thursday he and his colleagues had received 100 per cent support from parents.

PPTA Western Bay of Plenty regional chair Julie Secker said teachers were leaving because they could make better money elsewhere.

“New teachers often start at salaries below the minimum wage, coming in with large student loans and a high workload.”

Secker said the situation made it difficult to attract good teachers into the profession and retain good teachers.

“It’s not just about pay. It’s about the conditions. Our conditions are at our learners’ conditions.”

Mark Potter, President of NZEI Te Riu Roa speaking to media in Tauranga. 10 March 2023 The Bay of Plenty Times Photo / Alex Cairns

Secker said post-Covid-19 more problems in the community were falling at teachers’ feet.

“We need more help in the classroom. We need more support staff. We need more help for counsellors.”

Secker said the number of teachers participating in the nationwide strike showed the importance of the situation.

“We’re tired of waiting for the Government to hear our concerns.”

Ministry of Education Employment Relations and Pay Equity general manager Mark Williamson said the offer that NZEI members had rejected so far provided “significant increases”.

“For example, teachers at the top of the scale would earn $96,820 after eight years teaching.”

Williamson said primary teachers were also offered improvements to many of the conditions that NZEI has been looking to address.

“We set aside over $380 million so that pay parity can be maintained for all registered early learning teachers.

“We have sought to resume bargaining urgently to avoid disruption to our learners, their families, employers and communities.”

In terms of negotiations with the PPTA, Williamson said there were still “some outstanding issues”.

“We have now approached the Employment Relations Authority to seek facilitated bargaining urgently. We hope the PPTA has the same urgency.”