Public Service Commissioner hits out at union after primary school teachers reject pay offer

Friday, 8 August 2025

Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche has hit out at comments from the primary school teachers’ union (NZEI), saying they are “not telling the whole story” after their rejection of the latest Ministry of Education pay offer.

The union held a vote regarding the pay increase offer which ended on Wednesday. The primary teachers “overwhelmingly” voted no.

The offer was for a 3% pay increase over the next three years - on top of a further 3.9% to 7.7% in pay increases already built in for the same time period.

Liam Rutherford, teacher and NZEI Te Riu Roa primary teacher negotiation team lead, said the offer was essentially asking teachers to take a pay cut.

“On the heels of the Government scrapping our pay equity claim, this offer was insulting, and members have overwhelmingly reflected that sentiment in the vote,” he said in a statement.

“As educators, we want to be valued, supported, and respected for our work. Yet this offer doesn’t address our key claims or the issues that we’ve spoken up about.”

Rutherford said the current offer contained no reference to teacher’s Toitū Te Tiriti claim, which aimed to introduce an expression of obligations and commitments of the parties to Te Tiriti in the collective agreement.

He also said it did little to address other pay-related claims to recognise expertise or responsibilities that primary teachers may hold.

But Roche said primary teachers had received pay increases of up to 14.5% in the last three years.

“This is a reasonable and responsible offer, especially in the context of significant increases in recent years and the current economic climate,” he said.

“The economic environment and the Government’s fiscal position are very difficult. Every additional dollar spent must be weighed against what is sustainable and fair to all New Zealanders,” he said.

Roche said the offer equated to increases between $3169 and $7939 in the first year of the proposed agreement.

Over the next three years, primary school teachers who were not at their top step could get increases of between $7275 and $15,250 depending where they were on the pay scale, he said.

“I urge the union to reconsider what I believe is a fair offer, on top of the pay advances primary teachers have received over the last three years.

“Bargaining requires genuine engagement and trade-offs from all parties. I urge the union to return to the bargaining table with a commitment to constructive dialogue and a realistic settlement that supports teachers, students, and our public school system.”

Rutherford, responding to Roche’s comments, told Stuff that teachers were trying to negotiate a new collective agreement in good faith.

“I’m disappointed that the Public Service Commissioner is trying to focus on step increases won by teachers in past collective agreements when we are trying to negotiate the terms of a new agreement,” he said.

Primary teachers are heading into mass paid union meetings with other education member groups, principals, support staff and Ministry of Education from August 18 to 19, in order to decide on their next steps.