May 16, 2019
Wharekura asked to join teachers’ strike
Teachers in Wharekura and area schools will be balloted on whether they want to join the strike of their primary and secondary colleagues on May 29.
NZEI Te Riu Roa secretary Paul Gaulter says their collective agreement has expired, which means they now come back in sync with their other primary and secondary teaching colleagues.
"The area school Wharekura agreement can't be settled until the primary and the secondary teachers' agreements are settled and so they are now in the queue. You can see how it's escalating, and our wharekura and area school membership are really pleased at last to be joining their colleagues in primary and secondary in trying to altogether advance the interests of settling this dispute," he says.
Mr Gaulter says the teachers share concerns about the need for a settlement that resolves long standing problems of recruitment and retention, rather than just accepting whatever Education Ministry managers want to impose.
Copyright © 2019, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com