THE UNIONIST: the wage gap, education, Newcastle Peoples Chorus

In The Unionist this week: the wage gap, education and the Newcastle People's Chorus tour begins.

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa is welcoming a promise from the Prime Minister that a “pay jolt” will be delivered to thousands of school support staff.

School support staff, which include teacher aides, librarians, office managers, ICT specialists and therapists, are among the lowest paid workforces in the country. Many are paid as little as $12.69 an hour which does not reflect their skills. NZEI has been running a “Stronger Together for Fair Pay” campaign to improve their pay rates and highlight problems around the bulk funding of their salaries.

Earlier this week the Prime Minister Helen Clark addressed NZEI’s Annual Meeting in Wellington and said the government would provide the money to deliver better pay for support staff. She said “our government will be prepared to provide the additional funding required for a pay jolt to raise the pay rates for low paid school support staff just as we are proposing to do for school cleaners and caretakers.”

NZEI Vice President Ian Leckie says “support staff have long felt undervalued and the Prime Minister’s announcement means at last there is some commitment to recognise the important work they carry out in our schools.”

Multimedia: Click here to see Helen Clark's announcement at the NZEI conference on Monday, and the response from the National Party's education spokesperson Anne Tolley.

Election 08: What's at stake in education 

The last 8 years has seen significant improvements in education.  This has included 20 hours free early childhood education, plus $63.6 million in Budget 2008 to help with costs; funding for staff to children ratios at new entrants level to 1:15; scrapping bulk funding for schools; kindergartens back in the public sector; pay parity for early childhood teachers and kindergarten teachers; 6,000 new teachers above roll growth; increases in schools’ operational funding, property and new facilities;  42 new schools and kura built since 1999;  money to universities for salary increases; interest-free student loans; 80,000 more people per year in industry training; and a more collaborative tertiary sector.

National's policies signal a greater role for private companies in running early childhood, school and tertiary education. They’ll nearly double funding for private schools, allow private companies to own and operate our school buildings, downgrade requirements for trained teachers in early childhood education, limit future funding for public schools to inflation adjustments only (no increase in operational grants) and introduce compulsory national testing in schools (which the Principals Federation describe as time consuming and detrimental to achieving better outcomes overall).

What's next? A lot has been done in recent years in education, but there is still much to do to ensure world class quality public education at all levels. 

Better outcomes for the ‘tail’
Kiwi children are among the best learners in the world - we rank third in literacy and seventh in science out of more than 50 countries in a 2006 survey.

But the bottom 20 percent of students, sometimes called the ‘long tail of under achievers’, score significantly lower in international comparisons. 

Every child must have genuine access to opportunity.  Political parties need to commit to policies that attract and retain quality teachers, value support staff, reduce class sizes, build on 20 Hours free ECE especially in low socio-economic areas, implement Ka Hikitia, and fund schools sustainably.  

Coordinated, well funded tertiary education
The competitive fragmented tertiary education system of the 1990s has been overturned and a more collaborative tertiary sector based on investment plans and coordinated delivery has been established. 

This needs to continue, with public expenditure prioritised on public tertiary institutions, rather than a market-driven model that allows for-profit providers to receive public funding at the expense of public institutions.

The ability for workers to join together as a collective to bargain for their terms and conditions of employment has helped address salaries nationally.  Worker friendly employment law must remain.  Political parties need to spell out how they will build on the $61 million in new funding for staff salaries in universities over the last three years and how this issue might be progressed for staff in polytechnics and institutes of technology.

Increased funding to support teaching and research and retaining a funding model that reinforces each institution-type having a different and valuable role to play, are also important issues in the tertiary sector.

This election, find out which parties commit to high quality, accessible public education at all levels. 

Multimedia: click here to see CTU president Helen Kelly's speech to the Post Primary Teachers Association conference this week. http://tinyurl.com/4fobzh 

Newcastle People's Chorus - NZ tour kicks off tonight

The Newcastle People’s Chorus was formed by delegates and friends from Newcastle Trade Union Council in 1988.  It is one of ten Trade Union Choirs in Australia, formed by labour movement activists concerned that collectivism, unionism and progressive ideas were waning under the influence of the conservative mass media and individualism. 

From Oct 2 – 12, the Newcastle People’s Chorus will tour New Zealand, performing in Auckland, Wellington, Westport, Greymouth and Christchurch.  The tour is called “Stand Together”, a reminder that we must continue to work together collectively for a more just and peaceful world.

Dates are below, more information available here, and hear Rod Noble from the Choir on Radio New Zealand's Saturday programme with Kim Hill at 9.45am tomorrow (the audio will be on this website by mid afternoon Saturday if you miss it). 

Auckland
6pm, Friday 3rd Oct. Trades Hall, 147 Gt North Rd, Grey Lynn
Wellington
7.30pm, Saturday 4th Oct, Irish Society Rooms, Fyfeshire Ave, off Cambridge Tce.  Doors and bar open from 7.
Westport
Wednesday 8th Oct.
Greymouth
Thursday 9th Oct.
Christchurch
7pm, Saturday 11th Oct. Media Club (next door to Trade Union Centre), 199 Armagh Street, Christchurch

Weekly Events Calendar

The Hollow Men
Saturday October 4 2008 - 6pm - Regent Theatre Greymouth
Sunday October 5 2008 - 1pm - Crooked Mile, Hokitika

Unions Otago MPs/Candidates meeting
As part of the CTU Election Campaign CTU affiliated union members are invited to attend a forum to hear what our local MP’s / Candidates views are on issues that affect working people.
The forum will be held on Tuesday 7 October 2008 [World Day for Decent Work].
Starting at 7.00 pm at the Burns Hall, Moray Place (in the ground of First Church). Come and meet the candidates for this year’s general election.  The theme is Decent Work / Decent pay
There will be time to ask questions. RSVP your attendance to: Jenny McCullum on 477 6578 or email jennym@nzno.org.nz

Unions Hawkes Bay Work Rights Night
Unions Hawkes Bay will hold a Work Rights Night screening of “The Hollow Men” by Alister Barry and Nicky Hager to raise awareness around workplace rights as the election issue this year. All union members and supporters are invited to the Trade Union Centre, 2 Lipton Place, Onekawa, Napier, on Wednesday October 15th, at 4.00pm. Light refreshments will be provided.
More info: Thomas O’Neill, Convener, Unions Hawkes Bay, Ph: 027 204 6350. 

Breakfast Debate 08:  “That the Women’s Vote Makes the Difference”
Join us for breakfast and bring your friends on:
Thursday 16 October 2008, 7.30 am - 8.45am
The Jimmy Café and Bar, St James Theatre Courtenay Place.
A debate to highlight policies and issues for women in this year's General Election.  (Breakfast options available for purchase).
Debaters confirmed to date: Grant Robertson, Sue Kedgley, Helen Kelly, Fleur Fitzsimons, Charles Chauvel, Annette King.
Organised by the Women's Electoral Network. RSVP REQUIRED to womenselectoralnetwork@gmail.com  

Other Events and Campaigns

FIRST FRIDAY DRINKS
Unions Wellington's regular monthly get together After work Friday October 3rd Abel Tasman Hotel Cnr. Willis & Dixon Streets

Talking Union
5:15 p.m. Thursday October 9th at the RMTU Offices, level 1, 1 Thorndon Quay [on the edge of the Bus Depot outside the Railway Station].  If you're not yet a top flight orator, you're welcome.

"Hear the Forestry Spokespeople"
Monday 6th October, 5:00pm for 5:15pm
Science House (Royal Society of NZ), Turnbull Street, Thorndon
Representatives from Labour, National, Greens, Progressives and Act have confirmed attendance.  Each will have an opportunity to describe what they will do for forests and the forestry sector if they are part of the next government.  There will also be ample opportunity for questions from the floor.
Prior advice of intention to attend would be appreciated. Cost - donation at the door please.
Contact:  Andrew McEwen,
email:  am.mcewen@xtra.co.nz
phone (04) 476 6163

Seminar: Making Household Energy More Sustainable
What can and should be done to make household energy use in New Zealand more sustainable? What policies are required?
Date: Thursday 9 October
Time: 12 noon - 2pm
Venue: Victoria University Law School (Old Government Buildings) Lecture Theatre 2, Lambton Quay, Wellington (Note: Lecture Theatre 2 is behind the main Law School building, close to the corner of Bunny St and Stout St)
Admission: By koha

CTU Meetings, training

Workplace Productivity Challenge Workshop 
There are places available in the following workshops - please register now:
- Tuesday 7 October, 9 am - 4.30 pm, Hamilton
- Friday 10 October, 9 am - 4.30 pm, Wellington Central
- Tuesday 28 October, 9 am - 4.30 pm, Christchurch
- Tuesday 28 October, 9 am - 4.30 pm, Mangere East
- Thursday 30 October, 9 am - 4.30 pm, Dunedin
Registration forms for these workshops and dates for others are on the CTU website. There is no charge to attend the Productivity Challenge which is an EREL-approved course. Financial assistance is available for travel, wage reimbursement (if not using EREL or other leave) and other associated costs.  We are also seeking expressions of interest for a workshop at Tauranga, tentative date 6 November. Please email Sandy O'Neil if you and / or delegates and other members are keen to attend at this location. Email Sandy - productivity@nzctu.org.nz. See the WPEP website for registration forms & more information: http://union.org.nz/workplaceproductivity