File photo. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
The PPTA has called off all industrial action immediately as it has agreed on the arbitration process for its pay dispute with the Ministry of Education.
The Post Primary Teachers' Association said its executive voted this afternoon to approve the arbitration process.
"We hope an independent arbitration panel will review the matters under dispute fairly and objectively and provide recommendations that would form the basis of a new collective agreement," PPTA Te Wehengarua acting president Chris Abercrombie said in a statement.
"Now that we have agreed on the arbitration process, PPTA Te Wehengarua national executive is calling off all industrial action immediately. There will be no further industrial action while the arbitration process works through to its conclusion."
The action has been called off immediately, but Abercrombie said that schools may need time to implement the change.
On Tuesday, the union for secondary school teachers and the Ministry of Education began drawing up terms of reference for the arbitration.
Abercrombie said the three independent arbitration panel members would be announced within the next few days.
The arbitration process is expected to take three weeks from the time the panel convenes, then a further two weeks for the government to respond to its recommendations and for the PPTA members to vote on a potential settlement.
"Paid union meetings scheduled for next week will still take place to discuss the arbitration process and the move to individual employment agreements for all members from 1 July," Abercrombie said.
The teachers' industrial action had included rostering home different year groups on different days of the week, with Year 9 and 13 students off on Wednesday this week and Year 11 and 12 students off on Tuesday.
