Sector Update: Industrial Action by Secondary Teachers – Term 1

Notice of partial strike action was issued by PPTA Te Wehengarua on Friday 27 January 2023. The partial strike action covers both secondary and area teachers who are covered by the Secondary Teachers Collective Agreement.
 
The notice details how the partial strike is intended to work:

  • Refusal by teachers to give up non-contact time to cover classes where there is a lack of teachers/relievers.
  • Should additional students be placed into a teacher’s class due to the lack of a teacher/reliever elsewhere in the school, the teacher will not ‘teach’ the class and provide supervision only.
  • This action will take place from 8:30 am Monday, 30 January 2023 to 4:30 pm Thursday 6 April 2023.

 
NZSTA has been working with the Ministry of Education to ensure detailed guidance for school boards and principals is available.  You can find this guidance, along with the strike notice, on our Resource Centre:

The guidance document is combined advice for both boards (in their governance role) and principals (as the CEO of the school). The guidance provides an overview of the strike action, the legal responsibilities boards and principals have in this situation and the action they are required to undertake, along with timeframes for these actions.
 
Due to the partial nature of the strike, it will be up to each school board to consider the impact of the partial strike action on the operations of their school and determine how it will be managed on a day-to-day basis.
 
NZSTA strongly encourages boards to read the guidance and engage with your principal to plan and prepare for the strike action.