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Date 15 May 2025 | Circular 2025/01 | Category Employment Relations
This circular is about the initiation of bargaining for the renewal of 2 collective agreements:
- Primary Principals’ Collective Agreement (PPCBU)
- Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement.
This circular does not replace any other.
The action needed is: To bring the relevant Notice of Initiation of Bargaining to the attention of all employees whose work may be covered by either of the proposed collective agreements, within ten days of receipt of the attached notices initiating bargaining.
It is intended for: Presiding members/chairpersons of school boards and principals of all state and state-integrated primary and area schools.
Further information is available from:
Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa | New Zealand School Boards Association about human resource issues generally.
Freephone (NZ only): 0800 782 435
Email: [email protected]
The Ministry of Education's Employment Relations Unit.
Email: [email protected]
All collective agreements for school staff can be found on our website.
Introduction#
Section 43 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 requires that within 10 days of receiving a notice initiating bargaining for a collective agreement, the existence and coverage of that bargaining are to be drawn to the attention of all employees whose work would come within the coverage of the intended agreement.
Notice of Initiation – Primary Principals (PPCBU)#
On 15 May 2025, the Ministry of Education received formal notification (dated 14 May) from the Primary Principals’ Collective Bargaining union (PPCB) that it is initiating bargaining for a collective agreement covering the work of:
- primary school principals employed in state and state integrated schools (including normal schools, model schools and intermediate schools)
- composite schools (other than area schools)
- and special schools.
The intended parties to the collective agreement will be the PPCB and the Secretary for Education acting under the delegation from the Public Service Commissioner.
The agreement sought would bind all the employees defined who are or become members of the PPCB and every school board employing such employees.
A copy of the Notice of Initiation of Bargaining for the Primary Principals’ Collective Agreement (PPCBU) needs to be provided as soon as possible to all principals of primary school (including normal schools, model schools and intermediate schools), composite schools (other than area schools) and special schools.
Primary Principals' Collective Agreement (PPCBU)
Notice of Initiation – Area School Teachers#
On 14 May 2025, the Ministry of Education received formal notification from the NZEI Te Riu Roa and the PPTA Te Wehengarua that they have initiated bargaining to renew the collective agreement covering:
- teachers (excluding principals) who are (or become) employed in area schools; and
- RTLB who are no longer covered by clause 1.3.2(a) of the collective agreement after 28 January 2012 (but who were covered by it as at 27 January 2012) and who accept employment in the new lead employing school, so long as they remain employed as an RTLB with that lead school employer, and retain their union membership as at 27 January 2012.
The notice defines “area schools” as any state or integrated composite school other than:
- a restricted composite school (i.e. an intermediate school that offers education to students in any of years 7 to 10)
- a year 7-13 school, and
- Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu.
NZEI Te Riu Roa and PPTA Te Wehengarua have confirmed that they do not intend specialist schools to fall within coverage of the collective agreement.
The intended parties to the collective agreement are the NZEI Te Riu Roa, PPTA Te Wehengarua and the Secretary for Education acting under the delegation from the Public Service Commissioner.
The agreement sought would bind all the employees defined in the notice who are or become members of the NZEI Te Riu Roa or the PPTA Te Wehengarua and every school board employing such employees.
A copy of the Notice of Initiation of Bargaining for the Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement needs to be provided as soon as possible to all employee(s) whose work may fall within coverage of the renewed Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement.
Area School Teachers' Collective Agreement
Issued by#
Tim Tucker, Manager Employment Relations and Payroll Operations
Te Pou Ohumahi Mātauranga | Education Workforce
Ministry of Education, National Office, 1 The Terrace, Wellington 6011
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Phone: 04 463 8000
Email: [email protected]
