Unionised teachers walking off the job today are planning to protest this morning along Cameron Road and will be marching to Education Minister Jan Tinetti's office at Greerton

The NZ Post Primary Teachers' Association - PPTA and the NZ Educational Institute - NZEI will be rallying at Tauranga Racecourse at 9.45am.

Following speakers at 10am, the group will then leave at 10.30am to march along Cameron Rd to Minister of Education Jan Tinetti's office to deliver some messages.

The protesters will then proceed down Cameron Rd towards Barkes Corner for a picket along the road side.

Nearly every unionised teacher is walking off the job today in protest after negotiations over wages and working conditions stalled. About 50,000 teachers and principals are expected to walk off the job in what's shaping up to be the biggest teaching strike since May 2019.

The latest offers from the Government include an 11.7 per cent pay rise over two years for new primary school teachers and a 7.6 per cent increase for highest paid primary teachers.

Two days before the strike, the Government held urgent last-minute talks with primary teachers to prevent their strike action, but those failed.

The PPTA rejected the last offer in October 2022 on the grounds it barely addressed their claims and suggested pay rises below the cost of living, which on average was about a 6.7 per cent pay rise over two years.

Rallies and marches are happening in multiple places today, including a gathering at Parliament in Wellington at midday. In Auckland, teachers will march from Fort St to Aotea Square from 11am.

Nationwide, teachers will be emailing MPs, picketing on roadsides and outside the electoral offices of MPs, as well as handing out leaflets.

Like many workers all over the country, teachers have seen their wages stagnate against the rising cost of living.

The New Zealand Post-Primary Teachers' Association Incorporated is a NZ trade union and professional association. It represents about 20,000 teachers employed in state and integrated secondary schools, area schools, technology centres and community education centres.

The New Zealand Educational Institute is the largest education trade union in New Zealand. It was founded in 1883 and has a membership of 50,000.

Each union is lobbying for slightly different terms for their next collective agreement contracts. But they all want salary offers which meet inflation and encourage educators to stay in the industry.

In particular:

• Kindergarten teachers want more paid sick leave than the 10 days in their contracts. It's one of the sectors with the highest illness rates in the country.
• Primary teachers and principals want classroom sizes and lack of learning support addressed.
• Secondary teachers want more guidance staff to help the rising number of students with mental health and home issues.