Many teachers have been on strike over pay and other work conditions. Photo: RNZ / John Gerritsen
Primary teachers are considering their next move after rejecting an Education Ministry pay offer.
However, kindergarten teachers have accepted a similar three-year deal.
The votes by members of the Educational Institute raised the potential for primary teachers to take further combined industrial action with secondary and area school teachers.
The Education Ministry has offered school and kindergarten teachers broadly-similar three-year deals providing pay rises of 13.9 to 11 percent on pay scales that ranged from $51,358 to $90,000 a year.
Prior to their vote, teachers told RNZ they were worried the offers did not keep pace with inflation, especially for teachers at the top of the scale.
The Educational Institute said the deal accepted by its kindergarten members included "several significant gains for teachers including sick leave increased to 15 days, a cultural allowance for kaiako Māori, and increases to head teacher professional time".
The union said its primary teacher members rejected their offer because it did not meet their expectations.
"They want an offer that swiftly delivers additional time and staffing to enable teachers to support students. And they want a pay offer that will pay the bills, having seen no pay rise since July 2021 while the CPI has increased at record levels," lead negotiator Barb Curran said.
"Members are feeling frustrated with the lack of progress, they've been almost a year without a signed agreement now because of the slow pace of negotiations."
Curran said the union would survey its members about what action they wanted to take next.
The union said its primary teacher members were frustrated and wanted a deal that kept up with inflation and gave them more time to do their job well.
The ballot announcements come as union members in area and secondary schools completed a series of one-day regional strikes that closed many schools.
Members of the Post Primary Teachers Association had also been refusing to teach one or two year groups a week, an action known as "rostering home" which was due to continue for the next four weeks.
Primary and area school principals were also in the midst of industrial action, a two-month ban on work involving the Education Ministry.
