Teachers are back at the bargaining table, but no offers yet

Tuesday, 26 August 2025

Secondary teachers are back at the negotiating table after widespread industrial action and weeks of tense back and forth between unions and the Government, who heavily criticised the strike.

But it could be the calm before the storm.

Last week, 19,000 secondary teachers left the classroom to strike on Wednesday, leaving many schools around the country closed and some open for supervision only.

Notice of the strike was brief, giving the Government just over a week. In response, Public Service Minister Judith Collins and Education Minister Erica Stanford lashed the union, saying there was no “genuine engagement” and called the strike a political stunt.

A Post-Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) spokesperson said bargaining is continuing, “but no offer has been presented at this stage”.

Meanwhile, primary teachers who have been in negotiations since late June are finishing their paid union meetings this week ahead of the next round of talks.

While members have not formally voted for or against industrial action, at some meetings teachers give an indication of their willingness.

The first line of a media release from the union New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) last week read: “Educators feel undervalued and disrespected by the Government and their growing discontent at what's happening in the sector will be at the top of the agenda…”

They rejected the first collective agreement offer earlier this month.

Teachers aren’t the only large sector the Government is negotiating with. Shortly after the secondary teachers announced they would strike, nurses announced they would be walking off the job for two days - Tuesday and Thursday - next week.

Health Minister Simeon Brown said it was “quite frankly, playing politics with people's lives, and it makes me furious”.

“We value our nurses and the vital care that they provide. That's why this government is investing heavily in our nursing workforce. But the actions of this union are completely unacceptable, and they need to cancel this strike.”

NZ Nurses Organisation president Anne Daniels on Monday said, “We need to trust ourselves and each other in coming days, by using every strategy and tactic we have to win this war on the health and wellbeing of our nation.”

Collins has said she was mulling changes to “keep people at the bargaining table” but not considering restrictions on strike action, at the moment.

The Government was “just looking at what are some of the options on this, and it might be things about getting people into mediation faster”.