Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/NEW ZEALAND: Following the failure of union negotiations with the Ministry of Education to improve pay and working conditions, some 50,000 teachers in New Zealand went on strike on Thursday.
With kindergartens, primary and secondary schools all around the country being forced to close due to the one-day strike by teachers who are seeking higher compensation by protesting with banners and placards reading “can’t afford the dentist” and “too poor to print proper signage” were waved.
Trade unions argued that the latest pay offer by the government did not match inflation and that the education sector was at a “crisis point” due to teacher shortages.
Chris Abercrombie, representing the Post Primary Teachers’ Association, said, “Quality education is a fundamental human right. Tragically, as teachers, we see that good being, slowly and surely, undermined.”
He said improvements to teacher salaries and working conditions were essential to keep experienced staff and recruit graduates.
President of the New Zealand Educational Institute, Mark Potter said, “Teachers want to send a message to the government about how serious we are about needing change. We all want the best for the students, but without changing the system, we cannot do so.”
Jan Tinetti, the education minister, said that she was disappointed by the teacher’s strike and wanted to resolve the dispute quickly.
Inflation and surging cost of living
The cost of living has become a leading political issue in New Zealand as the government struggles to control the growing inflation. Latest figures have suggested that New Zealand’s economy is shrinking, fueling fears of a looming recession.
