Last Thursday’s power outages and gales largely disrupted Nelson’s participation in the nationwide “mega-strike”, but the valiance didn’t blow over.
Originally scheduled to be a mass protest by healthcare workers and secondary and primary teachers after yet another unacceptable government pay offer, the event was downsized to just the education sector meeting at Anzac Park before proceeding to the Nelson Cathedral steps.
Striking healthcare staff had to urgently return to Nelson Hospital after its back-up generator failed amid the city’s power woes.
Keeping a firm grip on their placards, support staff, including Richmond Primary School teacher aide Jo Westley, also joined the mob following a recent offer from the Ministry of Education of a $1 per hour shot in the arm over three years.
The government had twice offered a zero per cent pay rise before this. Jo says, those in her area of education often work with students with complex needs, all while earning $30,000 on average per year, so the sector has been “disrespected”, and it felt “undervalued” by the government.
“We want to come to the negotiation table, but we want to come with a decent offer, [the government needs to] stop feeding us crumbs,” she says.
“I’d rather be in school, supporting our school and supporting the tamariki… but we’re being disrespected, our offers have been pathetic or completely disregarded, and we need to be in with our colleagues.
“[The ministry] gives a contribution to the school, but it’s not the full amount of what a good, qualified support staff worker is, so the school then has to keep continuing dipping into their own operations grant to cover those hours, and so it’s just a vicious circle.”
The latest government offer was that 66 per cent of trained primary teachers will be paid a base salary of at least $100,000 within 12 months of ratification – up from 40 per cent currently.
“Under our latest offer to the PPTA, 76 percent of all trained secondary teachers would be paid a base salary of at least $100,000 per annum from 29 October,” it says.
The government said it welcomed further negotiations from the striking unions and condemned their strike actions, saying it was futile as it impaired students’ learning, particularly with senior students nearing NCEA exams.
PPTA Nelson regional chairperson and Nelson College for Girls art teacher, Anna Heinz, says the current pay increase offers could cause teachers to “slide backwards” and says better working conditions also need to be revised.
“The absence of some other offers which we need, which are things to do with dealing with the problems that are going on at classroom level, unmet needs in all kinds of areas, but particularly pastoral and mental health,” she says.
“We want much more support in that area because it’s becoming more and more present in our classrooms, so it’s not just about pay, it’s about pay as well.”
