Primary and intermediate school teachers will be wearing green today in a "national day of support" for their school principals who're campaigning for a better pay deal.
Primary teachers accepted a $1.5 billion pay offer from the Ministry of Education in June.
But primary and intermediate principals who are members of the union NZEI rejected a collective agreement offer from the ministry that failed to give them parity with secondary principals, and have been taking strike action since the start of July that has seen them disengage from the ministry.
NZEI President Lynda Stuart says principals stood alongside teachers and helped achieve their settlement, and now it's important teachers show they're still alongside their principals.
Today school staff across New Zealand will be wearing green and holding a range of activities to show their support for principals, from morning teas to waving signs on street corners and handing out flyers at school gates.
"The day of support will be an opportunity for school staff and whānau to show they back their principals, and to say that if pay parity is fair for teachers then surely it's fair for principals too," Ms Stuart said.
The principals will meet at a series of paid union meetings next week to decide whether to escalate industrial action, or to consider any last-minute offers from the Ministry of Education.
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