Both sides locked in argument as teachers go out

Press, 23 February 1978, Page 1

Both sides locked in argument as teachers go out

Most Canterbury State secondary school teachers are expected to join the national strike called by the PostPrimarv Teachers’ Association today. * J

They are on strike in protest against what they allege are now “serious injustices” in their wage scales introduced in 1971. Letters have been sent to parents of secondary pupils advising them not to send their children to school today. If pupils do go to school they will probably be given extra-curricular activities, supervised by any teachers who attend, according to information obtained from principals in Canterbury yesterday. The Post-Primary Teachers’ Association has an estimated 98 per cent membership of teachers. It is those of the remaining 2 per cent who are expected to comprise the small group who may decide to go to school today. If they do attend, they will be paid norma! wages, a spokesman for the Department of Education said yesterday.

Today’s strike is not the first by the P.P.T.A. There was a one-day strike by Naenae College members in November, 1976, over a domestic matter. But this is the first national strike in the history of the organisation. whose object is to look after the interests of post-primary teachers in al! ways — including w ages and conditions. Privately run secondary schools are not affected by the strike.

Some State-school principals will report as usual to school to ensure that any problems that arise are ironed out. Other principals have said that they will stay at home, but arrangements have been made at all Canterbury State secondary schools for someone in authority to open the school in view’ Of the directive by the Minister of Education (Mr Gandar). Several secondary schools will be opened and administered by chairmen or deputies of boards of

governors working in close consultation with principals.

Mr Gandar sent telegrams to boards of governors asking them to take the necessary steps to keep schools officially open. Most boards in Canterbury received the telegrams yesterday. ir Wellington, Mr P. B. Andrews, president of the Post-Primary Teachers’ Association, said that Mr Gandar's call for schools to remain open using relieving staff was “provocative and irresponsible.”

“Parents have already been infomteo that schools will be closed, and the Minister’s statements will cause confusion and expose pupils to the risk of being inadequately or improperly supervised if they attend school,” he said.

Mr Andrews also said that if Mr Gandar carried out his threat to withdraw the offer made by the Government last December should the strike nroceed, he would be breaking an assurance stated and restated by him only last Monday. The Minister was already aware of the association’s reasons for not going to the public sector tribunal. Tire association had presented more than 20 substantive papers to the Education Service Committee in support of its claim. These had evoked, not a rebuttal of the facts they contained, but merely a negative response from the committee.

Mr Gandar said yesterday that there was a critically important difference between the Government Service Tribunal and the Education Service Committee.

the committee was a negotiating body while the tribunal was an independent adjudicating body.

“The Education Service Committee negotiates on the basis of claims submitted to it by the accredited representatives of the various branches of the teaching service,” Mr Gandar said. The Government Service Tribunal, on the other hand, was essentially an appeal body. “Where a teachers’ body in negotiation with the E.S.C. fails to reach agreement, the teachers’ organisation has the right to resubmit its case and argue it before the Government Service Tribunal,” he said. “In the present salary claim the P.P.T.A. on behalf of its members, and

the Department of Education would appear before the tribunal and argue their respective cases,” he said.

The tribunal’s decisions were binding on all parties, including the Government,

The Opposition last evening came out strongly in support of the planned nation-wide strike by the teachers.

The Opposition spokesman on education, Mr C. R. Marshall, said that wage rises were needed for those on lower salaries in the secondary schools, particularly the non-gradu-ates and those on basic grades.