Action on Degree Equiv Needed From PPTA

Action on Degree Equiv Needed From PPTA Executive Meeting

“The PPTA Executive meeting in Wellington over the next two days must call their much quoted ‘plan of action’ if degree equivalent teachers are to have their issues sorted quickly,” Martin Cooney, spokesperson for the September 20 group said today. “There are only three weeks left to sort the issue out or the start of 2003 will be very messy.”

“PPTA annual conference decided on a plan of action to be called if a standoff occurred,” said Mr Cooney. “The fact is that the Ministry of Education has returned to its old ways as soon as the PPTA took its foot off the Minister’s throat in August.”

“Currently the Ministry seem to be refusing to even go back to arbitration and PPTA seem powerless to force them back there. Both sides have to agree to arbitration unlike mediation which has failed to resolve the issue anyway,” said Mr Cooney. “Teachers can take industrial action legally and unfortunately it seems it is the only language the ministry will understand. But even if arbitration occurs, action is needed.”

“Thw Ministry has made it clear that it must know the position of degreed teachers by 22 November to pay them their pay rise from 5 February. That leaves only three weeks to sort out the situation for non-degreed teachers. This meeting is the right time for the Executive to call teachers to action to sort it out,” said Mr Cooney.

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