Secondary school teachers have accepted the Government's latest pay offer.
The vote follows last month's mega-strike that saw 55,000 teachers walk off the job.
The Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) president Jack Boyle says that after hearing from members about their love for the job, as well as their concerns that the offer was not enough, accepting was agreed to be a "step forward".
"In accepting the offer members are putting their hope into the accord with NZEI Te Riu Roa and the Government," he said.
Sixty-five percent of members voted to ratify the deal.
"They are expecting that it will act quickly to bring significant reductions in workload and an increase in the number of New Zealanders training to become secondary teachers and stem the flow of those leaving because of excessive workloads.
"This settlement gives it some space to do that critical work."
On the back of the historic strike action, the settlement is a significant step to ending the ongoing pay dispute following huge protests around the country.
Main components of the offer include:
- a lump sum payment of $1500 for union members only
- Salary rises around 3 percent on 1 July this year and each of the next two years, with a new top step of $90,000 on July 1, 2021
- management units moving to $5000, Middle Management Allowances and Senior Management Allowances to $2000 on January 28, 2020
- payment of the High Priority Teacher Supply Allowance at $2500 for all eligible teachers
- an increase to the Careers Advisor Allowance from $1500 to $2250
- enhanced Māori Immersion Teacher Allowance
- 1000 new management units from the start of 2020
- a $5 million per year professional development fund for conferences and seminars, to be administered jointly by PPTA and the Ministry of Education
- changes to parental leave provisions so they are gender-neutral
- no pass on of the new terms and conditions to non-members for three months.
Newshub.
