Secondary teachers have overwhelmingly voted to reject the Government's latest pay offer and will strike in term one next year.
In a release this afternoon, the PPTA says it's calling on the Government to make a significantly improved offer before the start of school in 2019, one that seriously addresses the challenges that secondary teachers face.
"Teachers do not take decisions like this lightly. We are passionate about our work and feel a responsibility to our students and their families. We have made this decision because the government has given us no other options," PPTA President Jack Boyle says.
"We know it’s not Jacinda Ardern’s government’s fault we are in this position - a decade of neglect and underfunding has brought us here. But, it is their responsibility to remedy it," he says.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins responsed to the PPTA's announcement by saying: "Bargaining with the secondary teachers union is not as advanced as the primary teacher union.
"We welcome PPTA back to the negotiating table, which is scheduled to happen next week."
The Ministry of Education says it's "surprised" at the decision.
"We are surprised the PPTA is already threatening strike action next year as they still have four days of agreed bargaining on behalf of their members ahead of them before the end of the year, and the Ministry is ready to schedule more," says Ministry Deputy Secretary Ellen MacGregor-Reid.
The Ministry of Education and the Post Primary Teachers’ Association are scheduled to resume pay talks next week - 27 and 28 November.
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