Teacher strike today at Shirley B.H.S.

Press, 19 February 1986, Page 8

Teacher strike today at Shirley B.H.S.

Pupils at Shirley Boys’ High School have been given an unexpected holiday today because their teachers have voted to strike for 24 hours. This was the only secondary school known yesterday to be affected in Christchurch.

The Shirley teachers voted yesterday to join others in 50 to 60 New Zealand secondary schools who either took industrial action yesterday or will do so today.

At one Gisborne high school teachers voted to strike for the rest of the week, after the Cabinet decision on Monday to reject a settlement to the teachers’ salary claim previously agreed to by two Cabinet Ministers.

The president of the Post-Primary Teachers’ Association, Mr Peter Allen, said teachers were showing their anger about

the Cabinet decision through unplanned industrial action.

"The reaction was predicted but not planned for. It is a spontaneous reaction by teachers throughout the country.”

The association’s regional chairwoman, Ms Theresa Shaughnessy, said teachers’ attitudes had hardened since the Cabinet decision. All Canterbury secondary teachers might vote to strike at a stop-work meeting tomorrow, she said.

“Under normal circumstances that would be unlikely,” Ms Shaughnessy said. “But people seem to be considering stronger action than would be usual.”

Shirley Boys’ High teachers had decided to stop work for one day because they felt the Government decision warranted an immediate re-

action, said the branch chairman, Mr Neil Rankin.

"Members were very angry and felt insulted by the manner in which the Cabinet dismissed their case,” Mr Rankin said. “We were so angry that we were not prepared to wait for a campaign organised from head office.” Third-form pupils on a school camp at Hanmer Springs have had to come home because of the strike. The camp began yesterday morning. The P.P.T.A. national executive will meet in Wellington on Friday to determine what national action will be taken. Association representatives agreed last week to a compromise settlement with the Minister of Education, Mr Marshall, and an Associate Finance Minister, Mr Caygill. The Cabinet refused

that settlement, instead offering the same package that was rejected last year.

At present a first-year graduate teacher receives $16,880. Both the Government offer and the compromise agreement would increase this to $20,276. A senior teacher at the top of the basic scale, which takes eight years to reach, now receives $26,073. The Government has offered $32,800 — the compromise settlement offered $35,000. A principal now receives $42,604. Both the Government offer and the compromise agreement took this to $57,000. The compromise agreement also included a speeding up of automatic promotion, so that a teacher would reach the top of the basic scale in six years instead of eight. This is not included in the Government offer.