Categories: News

New offer for kindergarten teachers “vastly improved” says NZEI Te Riu Roa

The new offer will be voted on in early May.

<h2><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">Before Easter&comma; kindergarten teachers received a new collective offer from the Ministry of Education&period; <&sol;span><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">The new offer&comma; which will be voted on in May&comma; has been described by NZEI Te Riu Roa as showing &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;vast improvement”&period; <&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559739&quot&semi;&colon;160&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;259&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;h2>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">The new offer includes pay rises of between 11&period;1 and 13&period;9 percent for union members&comma; and increases the top pay bracket from &dollar;90k to &dollar;100k by December of 2024&period; <&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559739&quot&semi;&colon;160&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;259&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><b>Read the Term 1 edition of <i>School News<&sol;i> <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;schoolnews&period;co&period;nz&sol;latest-print-issue&sol;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noopener noreferrer" data-auth&equals;"NotApplicable" data-safelink&equals;"true" data-linkindex&equals;"0">HERE&period;<&sol;a><&sol;b><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">Virginia Oakly&comma; spokesperson for NZEI Te Riu Roa kindergarten negotiating team&comma; said that &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;for the first time the negotiation team feels like all of the priority issues have been addressed in some way&period;” <&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559739&quot&semi;&colon;160&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;259&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">Crucially&comma; the government has recognised the need for more sick leave&period; Oakly described this as a pivotal point for members&period; <&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559739&quot&semi;&colon;160&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;259&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<blockquote>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;COVID decimated our sick leave balances&period;  We had a heightened responsibility not to bring sickness into the workplace&comma; but many of us had simply run out of leave&period; Working around young children means that we are exposed to every illness under the sun&period; Going into winter it remains a key issue&period;”<&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559739&quot&semi;&colon;160&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;259&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">The new offer also begins to recognise the importance of kaiako M&amacr;ori in kindergartens&period; <&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559739&quot&semi;&colon;160&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;259&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">Reweti Elliott&comma; a kindergarten teacher and member of the negotiating team&comma; said &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Kaiako M&amacr;ori carry a big load in kindergartens around te reo and tikanga&comma; so it’s very heartening to see this claim recognised in the offer”&period;<&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559739&quot&semi;&colon;160&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;259&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><span data-contrast&equals;"auto">Oakly described the offer as showing &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;significant movement forward”&period; <&sol;span><span data-ccp-props&equals;"&lbrace;&quot&semi;201341983&quot&semi;&colon;0&comma;&quot&semi;335559739&quot&semi;&colon;160&comma;&quot&semi;335559740&quot&semi;&colon;259&rcub;"> <&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;

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Naomii Seah

Naomii Seah is a writer and journalist from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. She has been covering education in New Zealand since 2022.

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