Teachers to drop strike — for now

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33966, 6 October 1975, Page 1

Teachers to drop strike — for now

(.Veto Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, October 5.

A one-day strike of primary school teachers has been averted, according to a statement issued today after a two-day meeting of more than 150 representatives of every branch of the Educational Institute.

The institute’s president (Mr B. W. Kelly) said that a “national one-day withdrawal of services” had been averted only by the lastminute offer by the Minister in charge of State Services (Mr Faulkner).

The offer was of a joint meeting of the N.Z.E.I. and the Post Primary Teachers’ Association with the Education Services Committee to consider the institute’s claim. The claim is for equal pay to that of secondary schoolteachers for those with equal qualifications, training, and experience.

Mr Kelly said Mr Faulkner had said the Government would review the claim at the end of this month, and that in the absence of adequate progress a recommendation on primary teachers’ pay would be made to the Cabinet committee on policies and priorities.

“No trifling*’ The N.Z.E.I. and the P.P.T.A. would probably talk to the Education Services Committee on Thursday. The delegates authorised the national executive to draw up plans for action that would include . a one-day national withdrawal of services followed by rolling strikes in various areas throughout the country. The holding of stop-work meetings in school time was also approved. Mr Kelly said: “The anger of members at the protracted negotiations, extending now over four years and a half, was evident at the meeting. Primary teachers are in no mood to be trifled with over this claim.” ; Teachers saw the issue as one of principle, requiring the Government to accept that teachers should be paid according to qualifications and experience, and not by the age of the pupils they taught.