Progress over commitment to resolve pay equity for educators

Progress over commitment to resolve pay equity for educators

31 March 2017

NZEI Te Riu Roa today welcomed the Ministry of Education commitment to progressing a pay equity claim for education support workers.

The Ministry has agreed there is sufficient merit to advance the pay equity claim.

A timeline has been agreed to jointly progress this work over the next 15 weeks including assessing the work of support workers, looking at comparators and to begin negotiation of a settlement.

The agreement came after mediation this week using - for the first time - principles for equal pay agreed between unions, business and Government last year.

NZEI President Lynda said the good result is testament to the courage and commitment of support workers who first raised the issue ten years ago.

"The Government has said it wants progress on pay equity and this case is a great opportunity for it to honour that commitment.

"Education support workers deserve a speedy result after fighting for more than ten years for fair pay. The Ministry's commitments today are a very positive step towards that goal," Mrs Stuart said.

"After 21 years of working as an education support worker I'm delighted that the Ministry is now going to address our pay equity case," said Kathy Power, one of the three women who took the claim.

"Communications support worker Denise Tetzlaff added: "I'm impatient for our claim to be resolved but confident that it will be. I eagerly await the day support workers will be paid fairly for the work we do. Unfair pay is well beyond its use-by date."

"I feel hope is on the horizon," Jacoline Brink, support work negotiations team member said.

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