Striking teachers march through Wellington. Photo: RNZ / John Gerritsen
Hundreds of striking secondary and area school teachers marched on Parliament today to protest for better pay and conditions.
The rally was part of a series of one-day regional strikes which closed secondary and area schools across the North Island from Wellington through to Taranaki and Hawke's Bay on Wednesday.
The strike affected South Island schools yesterday and was scheduled to move to the remainder of the North Island on Thursday.
PPTA acting president Chris Abercrombie told the rally at Parliament the teachers' collective agreement negotiations were proving to be a long battle.
He said teacher pay should be included in the government's promised focus on "bread-and-butter issues" because pay rates were inadequate.
"It is not good enough that in Aotearoa New Zealand we have teachers going to food banks. And I know this to be true because I've had to do it myself," he said.
Abercrombie said the ministry's most recent offer was a slight improvement on the previous offer made in October last year but it did not meet the union's claim for a pay increase that matched the cost of living.
Teacher Clare Preston said teachers were unhappy to be striking again. Photo: RNZ / John Gerritsen
A teacher in the crowd, Clare Preston, said teachers were unhappy to be striking again.
She said the ministry's latest offer was unappealing and essentially the same as its October offer but with one more year tacked on.
"It essentially means that we'd be locked into this offer that we're really discontented with, just for a longer period of time so in many ways it's worse than the offer we had back in October," she said.
Another teacher, Paul Dyer, said teachers needed to show that what they had been offered was not right.
PPTA acting president Chris Abercrombie marches at the centre of the banner. Photo: RNZ / John Gerritsen
"We're a united group of teachers who know what's needed for the improvement of education in New Zealand which is good pay and conditions for the teachers," he said.
"We want pay that is keeping up with the rate of inflation and we want conditions so that we can give quality education to the students in our classrooms."
Members of the public watching the rally on Lambton Quay were generally supportive of the teachers.
"They deserve everything they're going for," said one woman, a retired teacher.
Striking teachers at Parliament today. Photo: RNZ / John Gerritsen
"I reckon teachers are amazing, we should be supporting them more," another said.
"It's cool. I think they do deserve it. It's hard work and important work as well," a man watching the march said.
Secondary and area school teachers represented by the PPTA and NZEI were planning to hold roadside pickets in Hamilton, Kaitaia, Tauranga and Auckland on Thursday morning.