International Socialists

"These strikes are about our anger and frustration"

 

As Socialist Review goes to print a wave of unofficial strikes by secondary school teachers angry at the deal negotiated by the Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) secondary teachers' union are erupting over the country. Whatever way the struggle turns, these events are very significant and may point to a real shift in the industrial situation for teachers. Socialist Review talked to a South Island secondary school teacher, who is active in the PPTA and the International Socialist Organisation. Because of the current situation, this interview has had to be anonymous.

 

 

Socialist Review: What is the background and focus of this campaign?

 

Teacher: Our last dispute with the government was over money and pay. We won this, but the problems that are so pressing for secondary teachers - contact hours, workload and time - still remained. These problems still remain today, and the latest campaign was focused around them. In December the government made us an offer that conceded some of our points, as well as a small increase in money. The membership rejected this offer as insufficient and drafted a counter proposal. The central issue for teachers is time - we need a decent amount of non-contact time to be able to prepare lessons for our students.

 

 

SR: What about the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA)?

 

Teacher: The government's pay "allowance" for implementing the NCEA is a farce. It's only $1,500 - and only for three years. Once you take into account inflation this means that in three years time our pay will be worse than it is now! Some deal. The government are also using this to divide the membership: the allowance will only be given to those involved with directly implementing the new system, which is a ridiculous and impossible distinction to try and make in a secondary setting. They're also using the pay parity bugbear - at the moment secondary school teachers are actually paid less than primary teachers, because they settled their agreement last year. If we get an increase they (primary teachers) will have to as well - the "allowance" is a way for the government to try and get around this.

 

 

SR: It may seem like an obvious question, but why do you think teachers are taking wildcat strike action?

 

Teacher: These strikes are about anger and frustration. The NCEA allowance I mentioned and the pay increases are absolutely pathetic. For someone on the top of the pay scale they translate to around an extra $12.50 a week. The issues around non-contact time and workload are ones that we've been trying to have resolved for a very long time. Anger has just built up.

 

 

SR: Has this anger translated into opposition to the executive, the union officials, or a break with support for Labour?

 

Teacher: That depends of course on the region and the PPTA branch you're talking about, but in general I don't think so. Education Minister Trevor Mallard is universally hated, he's reviled. It's easy to hate him because he's so offensive, but people also see through him - they've come back to us so many times with "non negotiable" offers that have improved the more we've fought back. With the executive it also depends - I think that people feel they're not doing as well as they could be, but there is still general support. I don't think you could say that they're drawing general conclusions about the role of union officials in general, or the way they're compromised by their attitude to the Labour Party though.

 

 

SR: Where do you see the struggle going?

 

Teacher: The PPTA executive should show some leadership. There is obviously the anger there - we need to go out on a national strike for a proper amount of time. A week long strike nationwide would push the campaign forward in a way no end of scattered wildcat strikes could. The only solution to this whole mess is sustained strike action and, to be honest, that is a worry. As a socialist it is obviously what I would support and what I will argue for, but you need to realise how much teachers have lost through individual strike days already. I lose $137 each day I strike - unless we take a unified, concerted action we may just get worn down. That is a real worry. But I think, if we follow through with militant strike action, we can win.

 

SR: Thanks for your time, and good luck in the struggle.