Sharyn Spotswood, a teacher of 20 years, has reached the top of her pay scale. But she is still having to take $400 from her savings each week and those savings have now run dry.
Spotswood, a learning support coordinator for two Wellington region schools, is speaking out as unionised educators from preschools, primary and secondary schools across the country prepare for their biggest strike ever.
“I cannot afford to strike” she said. “I cannot afford not to strike.”
Marches, rallies and demonstrations are planned across New Zealand when 50,000 educators will walk off the job on Thursday in the first ever simultaneous strike of union members from kindergartens to college.
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Pay is a major reason for the strike but staff to student ratios are also on the table. The Government has what it believes is a generous offer on the table but unions argue that it doesn’t even meet inflation – not forgetting the low pay teachers were on even before New Zealand’s inflation rate soared.
Spotswood, a mother of three children aged 11 to 15, considers herself lucky: She is at the top of the pay scale and earns about $85,000a year. She and her husband bought their home “many years ago when prices were low”.
But, until her savings ran out about two weeks ago, and with her husband currently between jobs, they were having to take $400 per week from savings just to cover the basics.
JUAN ZARAMA PERINI/Stuff
Sharyn Spotswood has taught for 20 years and is at the top of her teaching pay scale. She still can’t cover the costs of basics and insurance is a luxury that may have to go.
“We have not had takeaways for months. I cannot afford to buy a pair of school shoes for my daughter and we are currently considering whether we can afford luxuries like … insurance.
“Last week I had to choose whether to pay our Vodafone bill or buy groceries. Does that sound like fair remuneration for a trained professional?”
The Government’s current offer would see new teachers get an 11.7% increase over two years but this goes down to 7.8% at the top end. This covers the 7.2% inflation in the period already been but unions – and Spotswood – argue that it doesn’t adequately factor in current and coming inflation.
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The action this Thursday will be the biggest teachers’ strike since 2019.
“The Government may be offering a pay increase that is ‘in line with inflation’ but maybe it’s the starting point that needs to shift,” Spotswood said.
”We are basically living on the poverty line. Even if we accepted the Government’s last offer I would still be around $250 per week short of meeting our basic costs of living.”
The hourly rate for new teachers currently works out at $3.49 more than the minimum wage. The Government’s offer would widen that margin to $3.91 once the minimum wage increases to $22.70 on April 1.
Ministry of Education employment relations and pay equity, education workforce general manager Mark Williamson said the ministry would meet to continue negotiations with unions the PPTA and Te Riu Roa NZEI.
”Our offer provides an immediate lift in pay for all teachers,” he said.
“Under our offer, teachers at the top of the scale will receive an increase of $4000 per annum effective from December 2022, lifting to an overall increase of $6820 per annum from December 2023.
“That works out to an increase of $262 gross in each fortnightly pay by the end of this year for experienced teachers. On top of this, we are providing up to $1250 across two lump sum payments to go towards cost of living pressures.”
