Teachers sue ministry over refusal to widen pay plan

DAVID HALLETT/The Press

PAY ACTION: NZEI spokesman Paul Goulter said the pay structure was to ensure that about 7000 of 27,000 primary teachers with a teaching diploma, rather than a degree, were entitled to higher pay scales.

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A primary school teachers union has lodged legal action against the Education Ministry that could cost the taxpayer millions of dollars.

The New Zealand Educational Institute has gone to the Employment Relations Authority over the ministry's refusal to introduce a pay model that the union says had been agreed on.

But the ministry has accused NZEI of being misleading, saying themodel was a trial and more work should be done before it is implemented.

NZEI spokesman Paul Goulter said the pay structure was to ensure that about 7000 of 27,000 primary teachers with a teaching diploma, rather than a degree, were entitled to higher pay scales.

Mr Goulter said that, if the legal action was successful, the top pay scale for a teacher with a diploma would rise from $54,000 to about $65,000, potentially costing the ministry millions of dollars.

"We can't see what else can can do. We have met with the ministry on a number of occasions, but no progress has been made.

"The Government is worried about the financial implications and that is why they are refusing to acknowledge the agreement."

NZEI, the ministry and the School Trustees Association developed the trial to recognise experienced teachers with diplomas during pay talks in 2007. But the ministry was refusing to roll out the model nationwide, Mr Goulter said.

"It [the model] measures and recognises the skills, knowledge and expertise which teachers need to be highly effective.

"The ministry is shutting the door on the hard work and expertise of these teachers and their ability to earn what they deserve."

Ministry spokeswoman Fiona McTavish said evaluation of the trial showed a more sophisticated system was required. "We've learned a great deal from the pilot and can certainly use what we've learned in future work to develop a more sophisticated model."

The agreement made clear that, if the pilot was not successful, further implementation would not go ahead, she said.

- © Fairfax NZ News