Variations to the Support Staff in Schools' and Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' collective agreements

Read about variations to the Support Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement (SSSCA) and the Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' Collective Agreement (KRTCA).

Variations to the Support Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement (SSSCA) and the Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' Collective Agreement (KRTCA) were agreed on 27 July 2023 as a result of a Public Sector Pay Adjustment (PSPA).

• What is a Public Sector Pay Adjustment?
• Impact on pay rates
• Lump-sum payments
• Information for non-union employees
• Extending the term of the collective agreements
• Support and other links

What is the Public Sector Pay Adjustment?

The Public Sector Pay Adjustment (PSPA) applies to staff within a range of workforces, including education, health and other frontline services. The PSPA delivers an increase that balances the current economic environment and cost-of-living pressures to education staff covered by these collective agreements.

Schools and kura will receive additional funding for the increased costs associated with the variations to these collective agreements.

Impact on pay rates

These are:

• Pay rate increases occur on 1 December 2022 and 1 December 2023.
• Therapists who are on Step 1 will also receive an increase on 2 June 2023, as agreed in the KRTCA.
• PSPA rate increases are higher than a 1.5% increase that had been agreed effective 2 June 2023, so they replace this prior agreement.
• PSPA rate increases are higher than the pay equity rates (i.e. for administration staff, kaiārahi i te reo, librarians and science technicians), so will override the previously agreed pay equity rates.

Payment dates for rate increases will be confirmed and communicated at a later date.

Merging of pay steps

Merging of these steps had previously been implemented effective from 2 June 2023. The PSPA increases mean that the merging of steps will now occur on 1 December 2023, and any previous changes have been reversed.

From 1 December 2023, the following pay steps will be merged:

• Teacher aides, Steps 1 and 2 merge into A-1.
• Other support staff, Steps 1 and 2 merge into Step 1.
• Therapists, Steps 1 and 2 merge into Step 1.

Impact on pay rates: case studies

A librarian who has been on Grade B Step 2 since role on 8 February 2021:

* Lump-sum payment(s) not included in case study.

A teacher aide who started in their role on 24 April 2023, on Grade A Step 2 with a pay rate of $23.21 will be paid this rate until the PSPA variation rate is implemented:

* Lump-sum payment(s) not included in case study.

Lump-sum payments

The PSPA variation provides for lump-sum payments to employees, namely:

1. A one-off lump sum of $750, for all NZEI Te Riu Roa and E tū members employed as at 1 December 2022. This will be pro-rated for part-time and casual staff. A minimum amount of $75 will be paid. This lump sum will be paid in pay period 16 (31 October 2023).
2. A one-off lump sum of $500, for all employees employed as at 1 December 2023. This will be pro-rated for part-time and casual staff. A minimum amount of $50 will be paid.  It will also be passed on to employees on individual employment agreements. The payment date for this lump sum has yet to be scheduled.

Information for non-union employees

Existing non-union employees who have previously signed the Individual Employment Agreement (IEA) related to the SSSCA (dated 6 March 2023) or the KRTCA (dated 4 July 2022) do not need to sign a new IEA as the benefits will automatically be applied to those employees.

New employees who are not members of NZEI Te Riu Roa or E Tū can be offered the updated IEA. The latest IEA is available on the Education New Zealand website.

Individual Employment Agreements – Education New Zealand

Extending the term of the collective agreements

The PSPA variation also extends the term for both collective agreements from 20 June 2022 to 19 December 2024. This is to ensure the parties to the collective agreements have time to further develop the professional learning and development frameworks for employees covered by these collective agreements.

Support and other links

• Ministry of Education – Ohumahi Support Team, email support@education.govt.nz, log an enquiry on your Taku portal at education.govt.nz/taku, or call 0800 114 117
• NZSTA (for schools and kura), email eradvice@nzsta.org.nz or call 0800 782 435 (option #2).

Circular 2023/08 – Variation to the Support Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreement 2022-24 and the Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists’ Collective Agreement 2022-24

Support Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement

Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' Collective Agreement

Last reviewed: 06 September 2023 Has this been useful? Give us your feedback