Fair Deal Friday!

School support staff around the country are turning today (Friday 7 August) into “Fair Deal Friday”.

In a co-ordinated effort nationwide, they will be descending on the offices of government MPs to deliver a strong message that school communities back their fight for fair pay.

Support staff include teacher aides, librarians, nurses, office managers and sports co-coordinators. Many earn as little as $12.94 an hour – only marginally above the minimum wage of $12.50. They are historically underpaid and their pay negotiations are currently stuck, with the government offering them a zero percent pay rise.

Support staff have been collecting pledges of support from their school communities to present to local MPs. They want to show the government that while it may not be prepared to recognise and acknowledge the value and skills of support staff - principals, teachers and parents are.

NZEI National Executive support staff member Gaye Parlane says “as we went around schools and communities gathering signatures, the community embraced us and everyone wanted to sign up. They know that we work at the frontline of education and make a big difference to children’s learning and in the day-to-day running of schools. It was very heartening.”

There are “Fair Deal Friday” activities at government MP offices around the country. The largest will be a colourful march by up to 200 support staff to the Associate Education Minister Pita Sharples’ electorate office in Papatoetoe in Auckland at 1pm.

ENDS

© Scoop Media