School support staff take Novopay to ERA over pay

7 April 2016

The Employment Relations Authority will today hear the case against a Novopay decision that reduces the take-home pay every fortnight of around 6000 school support staff.

The Novopay decision means school office administrators, teacher aides and other school support staff who have had their pay annualised receive a cut in their income of 3.7 % each fortnight over the next year.

Around 6000 support staff chose to have their pay annualised because they are only paid to work during term time and cannot afford to go through term breaks with no income.

Novopay’s decision is based on payroll technicalities that result in there being 27 fortnightly pay dates, rather than 26, in 2016.

“We are already the lowest paid people in the education sector. For some support staff, this decision means losing up to $40 per week out of their pay packets,” says NZEI national executive support staff representative Alison Gray.

“We’ve been hearing stories about families, who are already struggling, having to cut back further on basics such as groceries, food and shoes for children.”

A number of support staff who have spoken out against the decision will be in Wellington for the hearing along with parents and other supporters.

NOTE TO EDITORS: The hearing will be held at 10 am at the Employment Relations Authority, 50 Customhouse Quay, Wellington.

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