Threat to stop teachers’ talks

Press, 22 February 1978, Page 6

Threat to stop teachers’ talks

PA Wellington The Minister of Education (Mr Gandar) said yesterday that the Government would break off wage negotiations with the Post-Primary Teachers’ Association if the strike tomorrow by secondary-school teachers went ahead.

It would then be up to the P P.T.A. to make the next move and take its case to the Government Service TriThe Minister said he had toid the president of the P.P.T.A. (Mr P. Andrews) on Monday that the Government would not allow negotiations Committee on the pay dispute to go ahead' under threat of strike action. “If the P.P.T.A. calls oft the threat of strike, negotiations will resume as soon as possible, probably early next week.’’ he said. “Alternatively the P.P.T.A ernment Service Tribunal for The P.P.T.A had the power to lake the pay dispute to the tribunal but the GovernMr Gandar told P P.T.A representatives at a 45minute meeting at Parliament on Monday that the Government wa’s considering a “small amendment’’ to the offer made to secondaryschool teachers last DecernHowever, after referring the matter to the P.P.T A.'s salaries and action committee, Mr Andrews announced that the strike w'ould go ahead as planned The P.P.T.A. had unanimously decided that Mr Gander’s offer “in no way mei the P.P.T.A.*s minimum re quiretnent,” he said. Mr Gandar said yesterdav he had sent telegrams tc secondary-school boards ask irig them to take the neces sary steps to keep schools officially open on Thursday. The schools should be kep: open, although he had nt

[power to demand that this j be done. However, if ’secondary-school teachers , were absent on Thursday 1 school boards would be given I permission to employ relieving teachers. Under the law, schools [ must remain open for 380 i half-days each year. If teachers did stop work lon Thursday they would (therefore be legally required 1 to make up the lost day later jin the vear. I Mr Gandar said that in i 1970 there had been a major (review of secondary salary scales and the next year the (P.P.T.A. had accepted a i settlement on a wide range of •claims. While it was recognised that the Government’s offer i had not satisfied all the (claims it had been accepted by the P.P.T.A. as a satisfactory settlement. The Minister said that between 1971 and 1978 secondary teachers had continued to receive all State service adjustments, including general wage increases, margins, and other increases (granted in the State services. The P.P.T.A. had lodged a claim for pay increases in (1975 at the same time as primary scales were being negotiated with the Educational (Institute seeking parity with (secondary teachers, he said. The primary claim had been settled bv the State Serjvices Tribunal which established two benchmarks between the two services. However the P.P.T.A. had ' opposed the primary claim (before the tribunal and subsequently accepted the 4.1 ' per cent general increase for State servants effective from .July, 1975. >' In 1976, the P.P.T.A. had

I then lodged the claim which was now under negotiation, Mr Gandar said. I The claim, which (amounted to an estimated annual increase of about S4OM, had been frozen by the Wage [Stabilisation Regulations (until October last year, but (an offer had been made by [the Government in Decemiber. However, on February 9 [this year a revised claim of (529.5 M had been tabled by i the P.P.T.A. Both those claims were “a .(long way from what the Government was prepared to accept,” Mr Gandar said. He was reluctant to put a value on the Government’s (offer because it applied onlv [to certain groups, but he said lit was “in the order of $1.5 to S2M.” The Minister said that after [the revised claim was lodged [the P.P.T.A. had been advised ’that while the Education SerIvice Committee had no authlority to negotiate further at [that point, the claim would be reported to the DirectorGeneral of Education and another meeting arranged with the association when the E.S.C. would respond to the (modified claim. I The chairman of the E.S.C. -told the P.P.T.A. negotiators [he hoped he would be in a (position to report back within ia fortnight (bv the end of the week ending February 24, or 'early in the week beginning February 27), Mr Gandar said. However, on February 18 [the president of the P.P.T.A. had announced that the.e would be a strike on Thursday. 1 "That is the present D< sition,” he said.