Secondary and area school teachers around the country will strike again next week in a bid for better pay and working conditions.
The PPTA said members voted overwhelmingly in favour of more industrial action, including a one-day national strike next Wednesday, in support of their collective agreement negotiations.
In the second week of next term, they will put in place a plan to roster different year levels of students home on various days for four weeks.
On top of that, in the third week of Term 2, rolling strikes will be held where teachers will strike on different days in different regions starting at one end of the motu and finishing at the other.
Also from the first day of the next school term, PPTA Te Wehengarua members will not attend meetings outside school hours.
Members will also continue to refuse to give up their scheduled planning and marking time to relieve for absent teachers or positions that are vacant.
This follows the country’s largest-ever teachers’ strike last week where an estimated 50,000 kindergarten, primary, secondary and area school teachers, along with primary and area school principals took to the streets in protest.
”PPTA Te Wehengarua members have shown they are serious about getting a new collective agreement with salaries and conditions that will stem the worsening secondary teacher shortage throughout the motu,” said Chris Abercrombie, acting president of PPTA Te Wehengarua.
“Teachers would much prefer to be teaching in a settled environment this year, rather than taking extensive industrial action.
“However, we cannot stand by when the future of secondary education is at stake.”
Abercrombie said the PPTA wanted a commitment from the Government that students would have specialist teachers for every subject as well as pay and conditions that will keep teachers in the profession and attract new teachers.
The PPTA and Ministry of Education had been in mediation over the last week and were meeting again today.
Abercrombie said if the executive believed there was a genuine pathway to an agreement that members would vote for, they would consider calling off the strikes.
The Government has offered a $4000 pay rise for each teacher this year followed by about another $2000 next year.
The PPTA said that equates to an increase of 4.4 per cent this year and 2.1 per cent next year. Taking into account the time the current collective agreement has been expired and inflation, the offer came to a 10 per cent pay cut in real terms, the union said.
Secondary teachers are also calling for more guidance staff to work with the increasing number of students with mental health issues and controls on their workload.
They were offered about a third of the guidance staff required and a working group to look at their workload after the agreement was signed.
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www.nzherald.co.nz...
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Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
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40.9% Yes
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33.9% Maybe?
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25.2% No
Auckland Transport----Free weekend travel for kids Making family outings easier
Did you know kids aged 5 to 15 can ride buses, trains, and ferries for FREE every weekend and public holiday with an AT HOP card?
But wait, there’s more! Load a child concession onto your child’s MyAT account and unlock 40% off weekday travel too. Managing their HOP card is super easy: create an AT HOP profile under your MyAT account, enter their birthday, and you’re good to go.
So, grab those HOP cards, tag on, and start exploring, because family adventures shouldn’t come with a price tag!
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Great news for Auckland’s tertiary students!
From 14 December, tertiary students will enjoy even bigger savings! The tertiary discount is increasing from 20% to 40% off AT HOP adult fares on buses, trains, and most ferries.
If you already have a tertiary concession loaded on your AT HOP card, there’s nothing you need to do, the increased discount will be applied automatically.
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Summer Rail Upgrades
27 December 2025 to 28 January 2026
We’re upgrading your rail network this summer as we get closer to more trains, more often, when City Rail Link opens up in 2026.
27 December – 18 January: Full rail network closure.
9 – 26 January: Partial rail network closure.
27 – 28 January: Full network closure for City Rail Link testing.
Rail replacement buses will be available throughout the summer rail upgrades to keep you moving.
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IKEA Sylvia Park – What to Expect Now That It’s Open
If you’re planning a visit to IKEA Sylvia Park, consider taking public transport.
Train: Eastern Line - it's about 19 minutes from Waitematā to Sylvia Park.
Bus: Six routes serve the area. Five stop directly at Sylvia Park shopping centre, and another stops on Carbine Road, close to IKEA.
For bulky purchases, home delivery is available to help reduce congestion and parking queues.
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Enjoy the festive season without the fuss.
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Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD
The Ministry of Social Development is reporting that fake information is circulating about new ‘December bonuses’ or ‘benefit increases’
If you get suspicious communication, please contact Netsafe.
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