Date 4 September 2025 | Circular 2025/03 | Category Employment Relations

This circular is about the recent settlement of the School Caretakers’, Cleaners’ and Canteen Staff Collective Agreement (SCCCCA 2025-2027) – previously named the School Caretakers’, Cleaners’, Canteen and Groundstaff Collective Agreement (SCCCGSCA 2022-2024) – and information on the applicable promulgated individual employment agreement.

This circular does not replace any other.

It is intended for presiding members of School Boards and principals of all state and state-integrated primary, area and secondary schools or attached community learning centres.

For more information contact Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa New Zealand School Boards Association (NZSBA formerly NZSTA) about human resource issues generally on 0800 782 435 or email [email protected].

You can also email the Ministry of Education's Employment Relations Unit if you have questions about the settlement or the new collective agreement.

Email: [email protected]

All collective agreements for school staff can be found on the Ministry's website.

Collective agreements

The action needed is to:

• Note the details of the settlement, including the new pay rates for people employed in roles covered by the collective agreement.
• Note the translation rule table for Groundstaff.
• Offer the new individual employment agreement (IEA) to existing employees who are not E tū members but are working in roles covered by this new agreement. This includes all staff employed as Caretakers, Cleaners, Canteen Staff and Groundstaff.
• Check that you are using the correct designation codes in payroll for your employees including non-covered employees.
• Ensure you offer the new IEA to future SCCCCA employees, should they choose not to be E tū members and thus are not covered by the collective agreement.
• Update the offer of employment template letter that you are using for new employees to ensure this aligns with the new terms and conditions of the recently settled collective agreement (available from NZSBA).

Introduction#

On 10 July 2025, the collective agreement covering Caretakers, Cleaners and Canteen staff was settled.  On 11 August 2025, the agreement was ratified by members of E tū union.

The term of the agreement is 10 July 2025 to 9 March 2027.

This circular provides a summary of the changes and new provisions agreed as part of the settlement. The full collective agreement can be downloaded from the Ministry of Education’s website.

Collective agreements

Key features of the settlement#

Remuneration#

New pay rates have been agreed as follows:

• Remuneration for Cleaners and Canteen staff:

• Remuneration for Assistant and Grade One Caretakers:

• Remuneration for Grade Two Caretakers:

• Remuneration for Supervisor Cleaners, Supervisor Canteen Staff and Supervisor Caretakers:

• Remuneration for Supervisor Caretakers (Grade Two only)

The offer provides pay rate increases to all staff (depending on their role and current pay scale step) ranging from an average 2.5% to 6.2% over the 20-month term of the Collective Agreement.

These rates will be effective from 10 July 2025 for employees who are E tū members.

For employees who are not E tū members, the new rates will be effective from the date the employee and employer sign the IEA. However, where the IEA is signed by both parties on or before 30 September 2025, the increase to rates will apply from the date of appointment or 25 August 2025 whichever is the later. For any IEA signed on or after 1 October 2025, the new rates will apply from the date the IEA is signed.

Education Payroll Limited will pay these rates to employees covered by the collective agreement no later than 12 October 2025 and will backpay to the employee’s effective date, as above.

For employees covered by an IEA, Education Payroll Limited will pay the new rates as soon as is practicable once advised that the new IEA has been signed.

Funding#

Funding to cover the increased cost to schools as a result of the agreed pay rate increases will be provided at the same time as your regular operations grant instalments starting from 1 October 2025.

Role definitions#

The role definitions for caretaker and groundstaff roles will be amended and merged to Assistant Caretaker, Grade One Caretaker and Grade Two Caretaker roles, with the effect of removing the Groundstaff, Grounds Labourer, Assistant Groundskeeper, and Senior Groundskeeper role definitions. It is not intended that this will result in a change to any employee’s duties. Translation will occur for these roles as noted in Appendix 1: Translation rule table.

The definition of canteen staff workers has been amended to make explicit that this role includes school lunch programme employees.

Increases to overtime rate and transport allowance#

The overtime rate for cleaners and canteen staff has increased from ordinary time and a quarter to ordinary time and a half. The transport allowance rate has increased from 59 cents to 83 cents per kilometre.

Introduction of provisions for school camps and trips#

The collective introduces provisions to cover work during school trips and school camps to ensure employees are paid the minimum adult wage for any rostered work between 6pm and 8am.

Extension of the designated first aider allowance#

The designated first aider allowance has been extended to all eligible employees and includes payment of up to a maximum of $160.00 when obtaining and renewing a first aid certificate from a recognised provider.

Extend provision of safety boots to caretakers#

Extend the provision of safety boots currently provided to groundstaff to caretakers.

Callbacks#

The callback provision has been updated to clarify that equivalent time off in lieu, but no less than 30 minutes, may be provided when a caretaker is contacted by phone for a work-related matter but is not required to return to school.

Introduce ‘categories of employment’ definitions#

Introduce categories of employment definitions to provide clarity to both employers and employees regarding what constitutes full-time and part-time, fixed-term, casual and term time only employment.

Reference various legislative entitlements related to union rights#

Reference legislative entitlements related to union workplace delegates and employment relations education leave to remind employers and employees of these entitlements.

Variation of hours per week and/or weeks per year#

Amendments to the variation of hours per week and/or weeks per year worked to provide clarity about the processes for decreasing and increasing an employee’s hours and to amend the limit of increase or reduction to an employee’s contracted hours to 20%.

Notice period#

The notice period will be increased to one month to support school boards to undertake robust recruitment processes for vacancies.

Conduct and performance#

Amendments to the current Part 7 Discipline and Dismissal clauses and rename as Conduct, Performance and Termination of Employment. This adds greater clarification and guidance to the conduct provisions and introduces a separate process for performance matters.

Individual Employment Agreements (IEAs)#

An individual employment agreement was promulgated by the Secretary for Education on 2 September 2025 following the signing of the collective agreement on 22 August 2025.

IEA Caretakers Cleaners and Canteen Staff promulgated 2 September 2025 [PDF, 124KB]

The new rates will be effective from the date the employer and the employee sign the IEA. However, where the IEA is signed by both parties on or before 30 September 2025, the increase to rates will apply from the date of appointment or 25 August 2025, which is the later. For any new IEA signed on or after 1 October 2025, the new rates will apply from the date the IEA is signed.

Education Payroll Limited will pay the new rates as soon as is practicable once advised that the new IEA has been signed.

Please ensure you are using the most up-to-date letter of offer of employment for new employees, available on NZSBA’s website.

Help for principals – NZSTA

Issued by#

Rosie King, Acting 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]

Appendix 1: Transition rule table#