Teachers reject pay offer and vote to strike | Northland News | Local News in Northland

Northland's 9500 secondary school students look set to have their classes disrupted after their teachers rejected the Ministry of Education's latest pay offer and voted to go on strike.

Teachers are seeking a pay increase of 4 per cent and have been offered a rise of 1.5 per cent this year and another 1 per cent next year. Prime Minister John Key said the offer was fair given the current economic situation, but over 99 per cent of the 12,2000 Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) members who attended strike meetings disagree.

Until a "fair and reasonable offer" was presented, members have voted for a one-day strike on September 15 as well as a range of protest actions during term 3. PPTA president Kate Gainsford said if no settlement was achieved by term 4, further industrial action would be likely.

The PPTA also voted to prevent employers from applying the 90-day "fire-at-will" legislation heralded in upcoming legislation. Ms Gainsford said while pay was an issue, any settlement package would also need to address members' claims for safer school environments and better learning conditions for students.

Ministry of Education group manager education workforce Fiona McTavish said the ministry had made a fair and reasonable offer and had been clear with the PPTA that the Government could not afford the "generous" salary increases of the past.

"In the past 10 years to March 2010, overall average teacher pay increased by $24,243, or almost 50 per cent. In the last bargaining round in 2007, the PPTA won a 12.5 per cent cumulative increase over three years."

Ms McTavish said the increases outstripped other public sector and private sector increases over the same period. "We are deeply disappointed by the PPTA's decision to disrupt schools, families and communities in this way."

"The only place to achieve a settlement is at the bargaining table. We continue to urge the PPTA to call off its planned strike, come back to the table, and give us a better idea of its priorities for its 46 claims."

The PPTA has 850 members in 36 secondary and area schools, from Mahurangi College to Taipa Area School, in Northland.

Secondary school teachers were last set to strike in September 2007 but the action was called off the day before.