Judie Allison, Staff Member: New Zealand Post Primary Teachers Association, Bronwyn Cross, Staff Member: New Zealand Post Primary Teachers Assoication, Rob Willetts, Staff Member: New Zealand Post Primary Teachers Association
21st October 2013
This paper presents a picture of a union which has survived throughout the
1990’s period of neoliberal reform unprecedented attacks on the pay and
conditions of work of its members and on its very existence as a union, and today
is in a position of considerable strength. The neoliberal mantra of avoidance of
‘provider capture’ sought to marginalize and ultimately destroy the capacity of
education unions to represent teachers in terms of their working conditions and
their professional priorities.
The paper brings together evidence from successive negotiating rounds, data
assembled by NZPPTA through its regular surveys of its membership, schools
and teacher education providers, and information from major campaigns, to
create a picture of the issues which education unions have had to confront under
neoliberal policies and the strategies which have proved to be effective. It also
indicates where the union believes it is positioned now under a government
which is beginning to move away from deprofessionalising neoliberal policies to a
position of engagement with teachers in the development of future education
policies.
