Primary Teachers' Collective Agreement

As provided under clauses 1.5 and 3.1 of the Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement 2023-2025, the parties (the NZEI Te Riu Roa and the Secretary for Education, acting under delegation from the Public Services Commissioner), agree to vary the provisions of this Agreement with effect from 30 October 2023, as outlined below:

3.2 Base Salary Scale

Unified Base Salary Scale for Trained Teachers

Step
Qualification
Group
Rates prior to
3 July 2023
Step
Rates effective
3 July 2023
Rates effective
3…

4.1.1 Sick Leave Entitlement until 27 January 2024

Until 27 January 2024, all teachers are entitled to sick leave on pay on account of sickness or injury either under clause (a) and (b) or under clause (c) as follows:

A teacher who works for the employer for a period of more than six months, or has service recognised for the purposes of sick leave (as defined in clause 4.2.2) shall be entitled to 5 days sick leave on pay on account of sickness or injury, in each ensuing period of 12 months.
In…

Teachers who hold a bachelor degree together with a recognised teaching qualification (e.g. Diploma of Teaching), or a degree conjointly completed with a bachelor degree of teaching, or an honours degree of teaching, or a Diploma of Teaching together with an Advanced Diploma of Teaching together with a level 7, 120 credit relevant specialist diploma, or a bachelor degree of teaching together with a level 7, 120 credit relevant specialist diploma.

A “bachelor degree together with a recognised te…

This section sets out the components of the settlement of the Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement (PTCA) 2023–2025.

This agreement has been settled between the Secretary for Education and the NZEI Te Riu Roa. It shall be subject to ratification by NZEI TRR members pursuant to section 51 of the Employment Relations Act 2000.

The terms outlined in this document are valid for ratification by NZEI TRR provided ratification is confirmed and the new collective agreement is signed no later than 5p…

1. Transfers and Removals

The parties acknowledge that the intent of clause 6.6 is that reimbursements will be made for costs in relation to the sale and purchase of the teachers’ primary place of residence and not for holiday homes or investment properties but note that, in giving effect to the intention of the clause, consideration may be given to an individual teacher’s circumstances.

2. Professional Standards

The parties acknowledge that the professional standards used for the purpose of…

… where 80 hours equals one month of full-time service or 1000 hours equals one year of full- time service
all paid holidays, paid leave, periods of sick leave (with or without pay) and any period without pay during a holiday arising from periods of sick leave without pay
special leave without pay, not exceeding an aggregate of three months in any school year. Where a teacher completes verified recognised employment during special leave without pay, the teacher can receive salary credit for eithe…

Translation from a teacher’s current table-based entitlement to the proposed allocation shall occur on 28 January 2024. 

Translation to the new sick leave entitlement in clause 4.1.2 will be based on the teacher’s years of aggregate employment as defined in clause 4.2.1(a) and the corresponding entitlement in the Translation Table.

A teacher’s sick leave balance will be their translated entitlement, less sick leave taken during their aggregate employment as at the date of translation, but no t…

Unified Base Salary Scale for Trained Teachers:

Step
Qualification
Group
Rates prior to
3 July 2023
Step
Rates effective
3 July 2023
Rates effective
3 April 2024
Rates effective
2 December 2024

1
Q3E 
$51,358 
1
$56,757
$59,027
$61,329

2
 
$53,544

3
Q3+E
$55,948
2
$59,948
$61,678
$64,083

4
Q4E
$58,133
3
$62,133
$64,086
$66,586

5
Q5E
$61,794
4
$65,794
$68,122
$70,779

6
 
$65,776
5
$69,776 
$72,512
$75,340

7
 
$70,040
6
$74,243 
$77,213
$80,224

8
 
$75,190
7
$79,702 
$82,890
$86,123

9
 …

1. The process outlined in Appendix 5 Part B, clause 7 a. shall only apply to changes of RTLB Cluster Lead School Employer board (RCLSE) within the primary sector i.e. from the school board of one primary school to another.1

2. Where an RCLSE proposes to relinquish that role, the board shall inform the Ministry of Education National Office of the proposal.  The Ministry of Education will in turn inform NZEI Te Riu Roa about the proposal within 7 days of receiving the notification from the RCLSE…

1. Non-service Salary Increment for Q3+, Q4 and Q5 Teachers

Subject to (iii) below, all full and part-time permanent teachers and full and part-time teachers in fixed term positions appointed for two or more school terms, who are employed as at 5 February 2003 and who, on that date, hold a bachelor degree together with a recognised teaching qualification (e.g. Diploma of Teaching), or are trained teachers who hold a four-year honours degree or a five-year masters degree or Ph.D. and subject to…

The following principles shall be used in addressing complaints against employees and matters of discipline and competence to ensure that such matters can in the interests of the parties be fully and fairly addressed. Many complaints will be able to be resolved by discussion between the principal and the employee concerned without the need to take the matter any further.  This does not negate any statutory obligation to inform the Teaching Council if applicable. Boards should, wherever appropria…

4.2.1 Aggregate Employment for Sick Leave Purposes

For the purposes of sick leave, “aggregate employment” means:

all full and part-time employment as a teacher or principal in any state or state-integrated school;
any employment recognised under clause [4.2.2a] below;
all short-term relief worked in any state or state-integrated school on the basis that every 190 days or 950 hours equals one year of employment.

The amount of sick leave available to a teacher returning to the teaching service…

6.1.1 The following teachers who are moving from employment in a state or state-integrated school to employment in a state or state-integrated school where the shortest distance by road is 70 kilometres or more, are entitled to the reimbursement of actual and reasonable removal expenses in clauses 6.2 to 6.9, provided they are eligible under clause 6.1.2:

Full-time, permanent teachers;
Long-term relieving teachers of 12 months or more;
Teachers in permanent job-sharing positions with reimbursem…

4.3.1 Disregarded sick leave not exceeding an overall aggregate of two years shall be granted by the Secretary for Education where in the opinion of the Secretary one of the following conditions has been met:

The sickness can be traced directly to the conditions or circumstances under which the teacher is working; or
The injury was suffered by the teacher in the discharge of duties through no fault of the teacher; and in circumstances where payment has not been made by the Accident Compensation…

Note: This process is separate to the one outlined in Part A above.

The following provisions shall apply in regard to the 2011 reorganisation of the RTLB service to deal with the formation of new clustering arrangements to provide an orderly process to retain employment opportunities.

For the purpose of the clauses below:
A ‘lead school employer’ is a school in a new or transformed cluster which has taken on the role of employing all RTLB within the new cluster.
A ‘ceasing school employer’ is…

8.2.1 Teachers may apply to job share in the following situations:
Any two teachers may jointly apply for appointment to an advertised position and be assessed as one applicant. On appointment the position would be a shared position.
On the joint application of two permanent teachers the employer may appoint the two applicants to a shared position without advertising a vacancy.

8.2.2 If one of the joint holders subsequently resigns or retires, the School may:

Appoint the other holder to the po…

2.2.1 Advertising Positions

Except as provided under section 606 of the Education and Training Act 2020 positions of at least one year’s duration must be advertised nationally.  However where a permanent unit is to be allocated but there is no vacancy attached to that unit, the employer shall advertise internally the roles and responsibilities attached to the unit.

2.2.2 Permanent Positions

All part-time and full-time positions shall be permanent unless identified as being fixed term in accor…

7.3.1 Coal, diesel and gas shall be provided free of charge.

7.3.2 Teachers shall pay the cost of their domestic electricity consumption depending on the size of their household. This shall be up to the following maximums:

Household SizeMaximum Annual Payment

1 person
$472.93

2-4 persons
$716.00

5+ persons
$803.97

Where teacher households exceed the maximum domestic electricity consumption cost as provided for in paragraph 7.3.2 above, teachers shall be reimbursed the additional cost by th…

… these service entitlements;
For the purpose of these provisions ordinary pay is defined as basic taxable salary plus regular taxable allowances paid on a continuous basis as at the effective date that the surplus staffing takes effect. For teachers on leave without pay, ordinary pay shall be the ordinary pay at the time of taking leave;
For the purpose of clause 9A.11 “service” is defined as the aggregate of all employment as a teacher in state or state-integrated schools and/or service as a tr…

A personal grievance is a particular type of employment relationship problem that normally must be raised with the employer within 90 days of the grievance arising.

An employee may have a personal grievance where:

They have been dismissed without good reason, or the dismissal was not carried out properly.
They have been treated unfairly.
Their employment or a condition of their employment has been affected to their disadvantage by an unjustified action of their employer.
They have experienced…