New Zealand kindergarten teachers receive improved offer after historic strike

Following an historic strike, New Zealand kindergarten teachers receive a new offer on their collective agreement, addressing key concerns such as increased sick leave, recognition of kaiako Māori, and substantial pay raises.

Community Press
April 06, 2023
Share on

Following an historic strike held on 16 March, New Zealand kindergarten teachers from NZEI Te Riu Roa, the country's largest education union, met with the Ministry of Education and received a new offer on their collective agreement, according to a media release today from NZEI Te Riu Roa. The offer, seen as a significant improvement, will be voted on by members in early May.

This was the first time kindergarten teachers joined strikes with their primary colleagues, signalling a growing unity among educators in the country.

Offer addresses key issues raised by teachers

Virginia Oakly, a spokesperson for the NZEI Te Riu Roa kindergarten teachers' negotiating team, stated that the new offer addressed all the priority issues that kindergarten teachers have been campaigning for. "For the first time, the negotiation team feels like all of the priority issues have been addressed in some way," said Oakly.

Kindergarten teacher offer shows vast improvementhttps://t.co/gFUOtsm0jf
— NZEI Te Riu Roa (@NZEITeRiuRoa) April 6, 2023

Increased sick leave and recognition of Kaiako Māori

One of the crucial points for members was the need for more sick leave for kindergarten teachers. The offer raises sick leave from 10 days to 15 days. "Covid decimated our sick leave balances... Going into winter, it remains a key issue," Oakly explained.

Moreover, the offer takes a first step in recognising the vital importance of kaiako Māori in kindergartens. Reweti Elliott, a kindergarten teacher and a negotiating team member, praised the offer, stating that the Ministry's proposal for cultural leadership is historic and provides recognition of teachers' leadership and expertise in Te Ao Māori and Te Reo Māori.

Pay increases of up to 13.9% proposed

The new offer includes pay increases of between 11.1% and 13.9% for union members and would raise the top pay bracket from $90,000 to $100,000 by December 2024.

"This is a significant movement forward in the offer, enough to take this to members who will vote on it in early term 2," Oakly concluded. The outcome of the vote will determine whether the proposed improvements will be accepted by the NZEI Te Riu Roa kindergarten teachers.

Related: Data visualisation