In a rare show of peaceful negotiation, the Primary Principals Collective Bargaining Union has secured a pay rise for its members without resorting to strike action.
After four months of discussions with the Ministry of Education, the union accepted a 2.5 per cent pay rise this year, followed by a 2.1 per cent increase next year. The deal, offered last week by Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche, will cover 26 months, RNZ reported.
Of the union’s 515 members, 85 per cent participated in the vote, with an overwhelming 95 per cent in favour of the new agreement.
Union president Mark Ellis said constructive communication and a commitment to good-faith negotiations led to the positive outcome.
“Our membership has gone and accepted it as a good offer,” Ellis said. “We can appreciate that we’re in a crisis for living costs and living wages. Our principals want to do their jobs, be in front of kids, and support teachers. The good-faith negotiations continued because we had not threatened strike action,” as quoted by RNZ.
Ellis added that an important element of the agreement was a commitment to explore tenure-based pay options, where principals would be compensated based on their experience rather than just school size.
“There’s an opportunity to continue dialogue with the ministry around remuneration for principals under areas of experience, not just the size of the school,” he said, RNZ quoted.
However, not all principals will avoid industrial action. Members of the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI Te Riu Roa), representing more than 40,000 education workers, including teachers and principals, are still expected to go on strike nationwide on October 23.
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