A union for primary principals has been able to secure a pay rise, because \u2014 according to them \u2014 it has not threatened strike action.<\/p>\n
The Primary Principals Collective Bargaining Union has accepted a 2.5% pay rise this year, followed by a 2.1% rise next year, after four months of negotiation with the Ministry of Education.<\/p>\n
Offered by Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche last week, the deal was set for the next 26 months.<\/p>\n
Of their 515 members, 85% voted on the proposal, 95% of them voting in favour.<\/p>\n
President Mark Ellis said the union never reached a point where it felt a strike was necessary.<\/p>\n
“Our membership has gone and accepted it as a good offer,” he said. “We can appreciate that, right now, we’re in a crisis for living costs and living wages, and things like that.<\/p>\n
“In particular, our principals want to do their jobs, be in front of kids, be supporting teachers.<\/p>\n
“I think the good-faith negotiations continued because we had not threatened strike action.<\/p>\n
“I believe firmly that we were at the table in constructive conversation, we had clarity of communication and, in particular, we had prioritised our priorities very carefully.”<\/p>\n
For Ellis, a key part of the deal was a promise to explore options for tenure-based pay, where principals were compensated for their experience and years on the job.<\/p>\n
“There’s an opportunity to continue some dialogue with the ministry around remuneration for principals and how that’s done… under areas of experience for principals, not just the size of the school.”<\/p>\n
However, primary principals were will still strike on October 23, if they were members of NZEI Te Riu Roa.<\/p>\n
NZ Educational Institute said more than 40,000 education workers, including primary school principals and teachers, would join the strike nationwide.<\/p>\n