Strikes resume after pay offer ‘not good enough’

Secondary teachers will resume strike action after their union advised members to reject the latest government pay offer.

In an email to members, the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) said the offer was not ‘‘good enough’’.

Year level strikes will begin again today, with teachers refusing to take year 12 classes.

The latest pay offer to secondary teachers includes a lump sum payment of $4500 for union members and three pay rises by December next year, totalling between 11% and 15.5%.

Unlike the previous three-year offers, the new offers had a twoyear term and provided the first pay rise next month, rather than backdating it to December last year. ‘‘While there have been some improvements in these offers, in particular equity of noncontact for part-time teachers (from the start of 2025) and a salary step increase for relievers (from the start of next year), the pay rate on offer for the top step has not shifted,’’ the PPTA said.

As well as voting on the offer, secondary teachers will also consider options for further industrial action. Chris Abercrombie, acting president at the PPTA, said teachers were feeling frustrated and angry. ‘‘This is not something we take lightly. We don’t want to be doing this. We want to be in classrooms teaching. We want to settle,’’ Abercrombie said.

‘‘But we need pay that matches the cost of living. The membership will speak in their votes.’’

Abercrombie said secondary teachers had not had a pay rise in two years. ‘‘We have been in negotiations for a year now and teachers would like any pay offer to reflect that gap.

‘‘That time period was some of the highest inflation we have seen.’’ Teachers have been striking since March 16, when about 50,000 teachers and principals from across the country took to the streets to demand better pay and working conditions.

Since then, secondary teachers have held rolling strikes to communicate their frustration over the Ministry of Education pay offers. Talks have been going on for about a year.

On May 22, teacher unions struck an agreement with the ministry to put strikes on hold for a week after ‘‘constructive’’ talks between Education Minister Jan Tinetti and union leaders.

However, the PPTA said the offer put forward was not ‘‘good enough’’.