Pay Equity for Ministry of Education Support Workers | Mana Taurite

Kua Tae Te Wā involved eighteen months of tireless campaigning by members and a long period of deadlock. The campaign focused on making teaching an attractive and valued profession.

School Administrators are a central part of the operation of our schools and for too long this female dominated position has been undervalued by the Ministry of Education. This claim seeks to rectify this undervaluation and get admin staff they pay and recognition they deserve.

The pay equity process was the first proposed pay equity settlement for a Māori workforce in New Zealand history and included an average pay increase of 79%. The settlement also included a commitment to improving professional learning and development, a new parental allowance, an overtime allowance, better rules for progression and an updated work matrix to determine grading.

The success of any group always relies heavily on the strength of the leadership. Our primary principals are taking on that crucial role in our schools, ensuring that staff, students and parents all get what they need from the school

In September 2016, NZEI Te Riu Roa lodged a pay equity claim on behalf of all teacher aides. In 2019 a settlement was reached and teacher aides received pay increases and other benefits. As part of the terms of settlement, there must regular reviews to make sure that pay equity is maintained. This review is currently underway and will be complete by the end of 2024 in time to inform the bargaining of the Support Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreement.

The 'arguability' of the pay equity claim came down to three key points. 1) The consistently female-dominated workforce. 2) The characterisation of therapists’ work as women’s work. 3) Occupational segregation and the feminisation of therapists’ work.