

Primary teachers and principals are "resolute in their determination" choosing to reject the Ministry of Education's latest pay offers and raising the spectre of fresh strike action.

Stuff reported the outcome of a secret ballot which saw New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa members deliver a "resounding" no to the revised offer put forward on September 11.

In an email to members on Wednesday, NZEI president Lynda Stuart said the offers did not do enough to address "growing issues around workload, recruitment and retention of teachers and learning support".

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF More than 4000 Wellington teachers, principals and supporters marched to Parliament as part of nationwide primary school strike action on August 15.

Primary educators would now decide the next course of action with NZEI representatives set to consider feedback at their annual conference in Rotorua, starting on Sunday.

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A recommendation will then be made to the national executive about what NZEI does when term four begins next month.

If further strike action is recommended, another secret ballot will be held to gauge members' support.

"The Government keeps saying we have to be patient, and they can't fix everything at once, but the teacher shortage is at crisis point.

"If you think it's expensive trying to fix a crisis, just wait to see how hard it is to turn around a disaster," Stuart said in a media release.

SCOTT HAMMOND/STUFF Further strike action may be on the cards after primary teachers and principals refuse to endorse the Ministry of Education's latest pay offer.

PPTA president Jack Boyle said he was not surprised by the outcome, saying the latest offer did not appear to address NZEI members' concerns.

New Zealand Principals' Federation president Whetu Cormick had received a "mixed response" from principals.

He believed the Ministry would have to better address resourcing issues in order to resolve the standoff, with strikes or rolling stoppages seen as the "worst-case scenario".

CAMERON BURNELL/STUFF NZEI president Lynda Stuart says the offer has failed to address growing issues within the primary education sector.

Acting Education Minister Tracey Martin has expressed her disappointment, saying the more-than-half-a-billion-dollar offer was "worth more than the three settlements combined under the previous National government".

Rejection of the Ministry's revised offer on Wednesday followed a one-day strike where thousands of people rallied up and down the country on August 15.

The industrial action, which affected more than 460,000 students, was in response to dissatisfaction over the previous offer tabled in June.

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF As thousands of striking teachers march on Parliament, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern makes an unscheduled appearance to address the crowd.

The revised deal put forward a fortnight ago was in response to criticism June's offer was weighted too heavily in favour of new teachers.

But instead of placating concerns, many principals and teachers publicly panned the deal which offered little movement on the key issues of reducing workloads and class sizes.

The new deal would have seen entry-level teachers who currently start on $47,980 move up each year to an eventual starting point of $53,429 in 2020.

JOHN BISSET/STUFF NZEI members rallied across the country last month, after dismissing the previous pay offer made in June.

Teachers at the top end of the scale would have seen staggered salary rises from $75,949 to $82,992 in 2020.



Unlike the stance taken by the New Zealand Nurses' Organisation (NZNO) during their collective agreement talks, NZEI chose not make a recommendation about which way members should vote.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION'S REJECTED OFFERS AT A GLANCE

Primary teachers:

Increase base salary scale by 3 per cent each year for the next three years

New teachers' starting rate will lift to $49,419, increasing to $50,902 (2019) and $52,429 (2020)

Mid-grade teachers will receive $61,410, increasing to $63,252 next year and $65,149 in 2020.

Teachers at top of scale will receive $82,992 in 2020

Primary principals:

Base salary increase by 3 per cent each year from date of settlement for principals at schools with less than 100 students.

Base salary increase by 4.5 per cent + 4.5 per cent + 4.4 per cent a year for principals of schools with more than 100 students.

Both deals would have been in force for a three-year term.