About bloody time…
Secondary teacher strikes called off as arbitration terms agreed
The secondary teachers’ union has called for an immediate end to all industrial action after agreeing to arbitration terms aimed at resolving its long-running dispute with the Government over its collective agreement.
The Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua executive voted on Wednesday afternoon to approve an arbitration process after meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Education.
With the terms of arbitration agreed, the executive called for all industrial action to cease immediately. Teachers have been taking part in rolling strike action in an effort to push for better pay and work conditions.
…The PPTA had run out of options right after the Employment Relations Authority came out against them!
The ERA are not right wing stooges crushing the throat of the working man, they are notoriously fair and if they are recommending an immediate halt to rolling strikes by Teachers and are pushing for an independent determination, then it’s clear that the problem behind the scenes is the PPTA whose current negotiation tactics and strategies are causing the lack of solution while burning capital with suffering parents who are being forced to stop working to look after their kids the teachers are striking against.
Far be it from me to suggest that the PPTA are as good at strategy as your average Green Party staffer, but by whipping Teachers into a frenzy of strikes, they’ve injected a highly charged environment that they need to produce a major win for.
Problem is they don’t seem to have the imagination to produce something more than slightly better conditions for long term teachers and are digging in their heels because they haven’t actually got a plan here other than whip up a frenzy of strikes.
The PPTA have burnt enormous capital with parents over these needless strikes and poor strategic capacity!
Let’s be completely honest – currently all we are being offered in education from any of the Political Parties are band-aids to haemorrhaging problems within education.
Teachers deserve 4 day weeks + more pay + extra resources + a teacher’s aid in each class + provide bonded scholarships with accomodation for new teachers!
Teachers work miracles with our kids, and as much as I roll my eyes at what the kids are getting taught these days, I’m still in awe of what NZ Teachers can achieve with the little they have.
There are few silver bullets in social policy, education is one of them.
We need to nurture an education environment that respects Teachers and resources them properly because our Schools are central hubs within our community that can and must be utilised and supported more.
Schools need to be used after hours for adult education classes that we should be funding.
Schools should be used to create gardens and farms for local food security and to use in free breakfasts and lunches.
We need to use our schools as entry points for counsellors and social services for the wider community.
We need to fully fully fully fund our public education rather than inject false competition models or new bureaucratic structures and we need to ensure a central curriculum of math, science, physical education and critical thinking are providing the tools for our kids to learn.
That takes far more money and it takes a Government with the courage to tax the fucking rich more so that excellent public education continues to be the egalitarian pillar of New Zealand!
Striking for band aids that don’t go anywhere towards the required solutions seems so limited and shallow.
Teacher’s will keep parents on their side when Teachers fight for transformative change, not just extending perks for long serving members.
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Although not directly related to educating our tamariki, there should be a massive extension of solar power across our school buildings. Not only would this contribute to cost savings for the schools, but would make effective use of the time, i.e. holidays and after school time, when they are not operating hence contributing to our national renewable energy.
The next round of contract negotiations for teachers will be under National/Act.
What with charter schools and other changes in the air the environment will be somewhat different.
We can only hope you are correct
So in your opinion, Martyn, striking for an inflation-adjusted pay rise equates to “extending perks for long-term members”?
I respect your views on many things but you are not well-informed on education.
Yes. And shouldn’t that be the beginning of a demand that the collapse in wage rates be reversed in all industries?
Parents are upset at their state paid baby sitters want a wage that attracts more good people so that those hirering can be picky .zThis is the only way to get good education back .At one time teachers and politicians were paid the same and the teacher was treated with respect at work and by the parents now they are the whipping boy for every problem that the little angles have .
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