This is a step towards proper recognition of support staff.

Everyone covered by the agreement will receive an increase of at least 3% immediately and a further 3% later in the term of agreement. This is the largest across the board percentage increase in over a decade.

Teacher aides will see further pay changes through their pay equity negotiations.

For other support staff the 3% increase is an important interim step.

The shift from the minimum wage to the Living Wage will give those on the lowest pay rates a welcome boost, which is something NZEI Te Riu Roa members have pushed for for some time.

Pay equity negotiations for teacher aides began in December 2019.

Members have campaigned long and hard for this work and the delays have been because we want to make sure issues such as allowances and job security are included.

These negotiations will result in further changes (and increases) for many teacher aides.

Work has begun on the administrative and Kaiārahi i Te Reo pay equity cases.

NZEI Te Riu Roa does not release the details of the vote as, irrespective of percentages, the majority vote in binding.

Strategically it is in the best interests of campaigns to release the outcome of the vote and not the detail. It does not serve the interests of Support Staff collectively to have percentages dissected in public forums.

A returning officer is appointed to oversee the voting process and therefore ensuring protection for members that a secure and democratic procedure is followed. The NZEI Te Riu Roa National Executive is then advised of the outcome, and we then advise the wider membership whether the offer has been accepted or rejected.

As an organisation we have to work on the basis of joint decision-making and group goals in order to make real and sustainable difference with our members.

Schools will receive extra funding to pay for these wage increases. This includes the funding for ORRS funded positions as well as positions funded from the School Operations Grant.

Simply put, the Ministry did not, and would not, offer a member only payment as part of the settlement package.

The negotiation team argued hard for this but the Ministry would not budge.

Our claim for the upcoming pay equity negotiation for teacher aides includes a member only component. The progress we have made so far has been because of increasing membership and member activity. It's a good time to remind non-members the best thing they can do to ensure support staff get a fair deal is by joining NZEI Te Riu Roa and the Making a Difference campaign.

The collective agreement claim agreed by members earlier this year called for Grade A to be removed because no-one should be paid that little for support staff work. Having all support staff paid at least the Living Wage is a significant breakthrough and something members have campaigned on for years.

The experience, skills and responsibilities of support staff have not been appropriately recognised under the current pay system. Recognising these, and paying people appropriately for them, are key objectives in our pay equity claim for teacher aides and are also our objectives for all other support staff claims.

Most school support staff face the uncertainty of variable hours of work and fixed term employment.

Addressing this is critical and is a core part of our pay equity claim.

We are also pushing the government to move forward on its promises to reform school funding models to support greater permanency of employment.

The Ministry did not offer an increase in this allowance as part of their settlement package.

In the work on teacher aide pay equity we have discovered there are considerable differences between the allowances that support staff and comparator groups receive and we are going to be having discussions on allowances in the pay equity negotiations.

Pay equity is about redressing undervaluation in pay and conditions of people based on an occupational group, not employer.

Teacher aide pay equity negotiations are taking place on the 18th December.

Teacher aides, Admin and Kaiārahi i Te Reo have separate claims and are at different stages in their pay equity process.

The collective agreement will be effective from the 29th November. New rates will be implemented in March 2020 because of the complex changes to payroll that will be required.

Negotiations for teacher aide pay equity began in December 2019 and are continuing early 2020. We are also working with the Ministry of Education to finalise a terms of reference for Admin and Kaiārahi i Te Reo.

Pay equity remains our best lever for lifting the pay and conditions for all support staff and we would not be able to do this mahi without members getting involved at all levels.

Members have campaigned for years for the Living Wage and now they've won it. The next win will be pay equity for teacher aides. We know that members telling their stories, talking to MPs and uniting with their communities works and we will keep supporting members to do this until we can all celebrate the pay equity wins for everyone.