Circular 2023/04 - Settlement of the Primary Teachers' Collective Agreement

Date 12 June 2023 | Circular 2023/04 | Category Employment Relations

This circular is about the details of the recent settlement of the Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement (PTCA) 2023-2025 and information on applicable Individual Employment Agreements.

This circular does not replace any other.

It is intended for Presiding Members of School Boards of all state and state-integrated primary, intermediate, restricted composite/middle and specialist schools.

For more information contact the New Zealand School Trustees Association about human resource issues generally on 0800 782 435. You can also email the Ministry of Education's Employment Relations Unit: employment.relations@education.govt.nz if you have questions about the settlement or the new collective agreement. All collective agreements for school staff can be found on the Ministry's website: www.education.govt.nz/collective-agreements/.

The action needed is to:

• Note the details of this settlement, including the new rates of pay that are provided for teachers working in positions covered by the new collective agreement.

• Offer the new Individual Employment Agreement (IEA) to existing employees who are not NZEI Te Riu Roa members but are working as primary teachers covered by the new agreement no earlier than 14 August 2023.

• Where new employees opt for an IEA, ensure they are offered the updated IEA. Ensure you are using the latest letter of offer of employment template for new employees, available from NZSTA.

• Note that a one-off gross payment of $3,000 will be made to all primary schools teachers employed as at 12 June 2023. This payment will be pro-rata for part-time teachers and short-term relievers.

• Note that two separate one-off gross payments of $710 and $1,500 will be made to all primary school teachers who are members of NZEI Te Riu Roa as at 12 June 2023. The $710 payment is not pro-rata.

• Note that Education Payroll will implement the lump sum payments by 26 July 2023 and the rest of the settlement by 6 September 2023.

• Note the changes to unit values, motor vehicle allowance rate, classroom release time, sick leave and Māori Immersion Teaching Allowance (MITA).

• Note the introduction of the Cultural Leadership allowance and the Pacific Bilingual Immersion Teaching Allowance (PBITA).

We will publish guidance about the application of new allowances prior to these being implemented in the 2024 school year.

Schools will receive additional funding to meet the increased cost of provisions resulting from this settlement.

Introduction

The Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement 2023-25 was settled on 30 May 2023, and ratified by members of NZEI Te Riu Roa on 12 June 2023.

The term of the agreement is from 3 July 2023 to 2 July 2025.

This circular provides a summary of the changes and new provisions agreed in the settlement.

The full collective agreement can be downloaded from the Ministry of Education’s website: www.education.govt.nz/collective-agreements/ and printed copies will be available from the New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA).

Key features of the settlement

Remuneration

• The new unified base salary scale (UBSS) is outlined in the table at the end of this document. They comprise an increase of 6% or $4,000 (whichever is larger) to all steps effective from 3 July 2023, a second increase of 3% effective from 3 July 2024, and a third increase effective from 2 December 2024 which lifts the top step to $100,000 and merges steps 1 and 2, increasing the first step of the UBSS to $60,735. 

• All rates increase by between $7,191 and $10,000, or 10.5 – 18.3% over the term of the collective.

• Additional payments of: 

• $3,000 to all full-time teachers. Pro-rated for part-time and short-term relievers.
• $1,500 to all NZEI TRR member teachers. Pro-rated for part-time and short-term relievers.
• A one-off gross payment of $710 will be made to NZEI Te Riu Roa members. This has been calculated to provide a net of tax amount broadly equivalent to the cost to renew a standard teaching practicing certificate during the term of the agreement. 

• Additionally, beginning teachers who progress from their provisional to full certificate during the 24-month term of the collective agreement will be entitled to have their fees (currently $512.37) paid centrally.

• Unit values increase from $4,000 to $4,500 from 28 January 2024.

• Increase to the maximum salary step for short term relievers from step 6 to step 7 from 28 January 2024.

Classroom Release Time

• Classroom release time (CRT) for full-time classroom teachers (including .8 FTTE and above, pro-rata) will increase by one hour and thirty minutes per week (i.e. 15 hours per term to a new entitlement of 25 hours per term) by Term 1, 2025. 

• The increases to CRT will be phased in by adding:

• 5 hours per term from the start of Term 1, 2024
• 5 hours per term from the start of Term 3, 2024
• 5 hours per term from the start of Term 1, 2025

• Permanent unit holders will receive additional classroom release time of one hour per week (i.e., 10 hours per term), effective from the start of Term 1, 2025.

Sick leave entitlements

• From start of year 2024, changes are being made to sick leave to ensure compliance with the Holidays Act. 

• The changes provide significant increases that go over and above the Act.

• No teacher will have less sick leave entitlement than on the previous system and most will have substantially more entitlement over their career.

• Conversion from the current entitlements is set out in Appendix 7 to the Collective Agreement.

Cultural Leadership, MITA and PBITA

• 1,200 Cultural Leadership allowances of $5,000 per annum will be available from 28 January 2024 to recognise those kaiako with additional responsibilities because they are cultural and/or community leaders who build staff capability in schools and kura. Information about the criteria and administrative process is being developed.

• Māori Immersion Teaching Allowances (MITAs) will increase from Term 3 this year, to up to $12,000 per annum for immersion level 1 (from $8,000) and $8,000 per annum for immersion level 2 (from $4,000).

• A Pacific Bilingual Immersion Teaching Allowance (PBITA) will be available from the start of 2024.

• The Ministry will publish guidance about the application of the Cultural Leadership allowance and PBITA prior to the implementation of these allowances in the 2024 school year. 

Other

• The motor vehicle allowance rate will increase from 62 cents per kilometre, to 83 cents per kilometre, from 3 July 2023.

• Schools will have more flexibility with their use of Kāhui Ako within school teacher roles and allowances, as set out in clause 3.35.

• Learning Support Coordinators will be recognised in the PTCA.

• The Ministry and NZEI TRR will meet over the term of the agreement to discuss reliever employment issues, annual leave provisions and a variation to the collective once a new legislative framework is in place enabling schools to seek a change to the Maramataka calendar. 

• No new Advanced Classroom Expertise Teacher Allowances will be conferred.

Individual Employment Agreement (IEA)

Teachers who are not members of NZEI Te Riu Roa but whose work could fall within the respective coverage clause of the relevant collective agreement may be offered the newly promulgated IEA to access the applicable terms and conditions of the renegotiated collective agreement.

On 14 August 2023, the Secretary for Education will promulgate new IEAs so teachers who are not union members will need to sign a new IEA to access the new terms and conditions (including the increased pay rates). The IEA is only valid if both the employer and the employee sign it, and cannot be before 14 August 2023.

The Secretary will also promulgate a new IEA for teachers in relieving and/or fixed-term positions. To access the increased pay rates and the improved terms and conditions of the IEA, all teachers in relieving and/or fixed-term positions will need to sign a new IEA, and this IEA also is only valid if both the employer and the employee sign it, and cannot be dated before 14 August 2023.

Employers are required to inform new employees that a collective agreement exists and provide them with a copy of the agreement, as well as information regarding how to contact and join the relevant union. New employees who are not members of the union must be employed on an IEA based on the applicable collective agreement for the first 30 days of employment, after which they can choose to remain on the IEA or join the applicable union and become bound by the collective agreement.

Please note that if the Board and the employee do not sign the new IEA then the new provisions will not apply. Pay rates and other provisions will remain the same as provided for in the now expired collective agreement.

In the event a Board has concerns and/or questions regarding its employment arrangements with individual employees, the Board should contact its NZSTA adviser or its own employment adviser.

Issued by

Tim Tucker, Manager Employment Relations, Te Pou Ohumahi Mātauranga | Education Workforce
Ministry of Education, PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140, New Zealand, Phone 04-463 8000,
Email: employment.relations@education.govt.nz

The changes to the unified base salary scale (UBSS) are set out in this table -

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