Secondary and Primary school teachers to strike next Thursday across New Zealand
It comes after members of two teachers’ unions voted to take industrial action to protest against the lack of progress with collective agreement negotiations ongoing since May 2022.
“Secondary teachers want ... pay rates and conditions to keep skilled and experienced teachers in the classroom, make secondary teaching a first choice career and encourage thousands of ex-teachers to return,” the Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) said.
Teachers in the PPTA and New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) will hold events around the country, including rallies and volunteering, with most starting at 11am.
An NZEI email said: “We will join our area school teacher colleagues and principals, primary principals and kindergartens alongside PPTA secondary school teachers in holding joint action across Aotearoa New Zealand.
“This is a combined workforce of 50,000 people and together our voices will be loud.”
Several schools have already announced they will be closed.
In Auckland, disgruntled teachers will march from along Queen St and Fort St to Aotea Square.
In Christchurch, teachers will meet at Victoria Square and march on the local Ministry of Education office on Hereford St.
Meanwhile, in Wellington, a rally will be held at Parliament at midday.
The strike decision was made after union members “overwhelmingly” rejected Ministry of Education offers.
NZEI President Mark Potter said: “The offer did little to address the concerns we have as a sector, and did not go far enough in ensuring that teaching is a valued and attractive profession.”
The rising cost of living was an issue for teachers, Potter said, but the pay offer was only part of why union members rejected the Ministry’s offer.
Staffing numbers and school and kindergarten funding remained important concerns, he said.
“This rejection of the offers and the move to a strike ballot is just the first step,” Potter said.
“I’m sure our members will be making their voices and opinions heard from now until the general election.”
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Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Auckland Transport is dropping the Mt Eden/Epsom/southern area from the OuterLink bus route as from Sunday 17 November 2024.
If your bus trip is impacted by this change in the OuterLink bus route (eg, if you have to catch a different bus or if you have to interchange buses once or twice) and you are not sure what to do, we urge you to catch your new bus (or buses) on Sunday 17 November, Monday 18 November and Tuesday 19 November.
This is because Auckland Transport will have Ambassadors out and about on those THREE days to help people with their new bus journeys! (AT may then have ambassadors out for an extra day or two, but this will depend on perceived need).
You can already plan your new journey on the Auckland Transport web site. The Journey Planner tool has been updated (but make sure you input a date from 17 November onwards). Or you can contact Auckland Transport with any enquiries as you would usually do, eg, phone 09 366 6400 or live chat at at.govt.nz... etc.
The Mt Eden Village Business Association knows that the southern half of the OuterLink bus route is heavily used by school children, the elderly, people for whom English is a second language, and other vulnerable groups. So, if you do see anyone who is confused by these changes, please be as helpful as you can. Thank you!