A few weeks ago the MECA employer reps wrote to ask us to defer members’ meetings until 6 August so that they could meet with us to “table a comprehensive offer for you to consider to settle the MECA”.”  In good faith we agreed to that request.

We met with them this morning and they duly presented an offer – the detailed offer is attached to this newsletter.

The offer does not address any of the claims TEU took in to negotiations, other than the technical correction of changing ASTE to TEU in the MECA.

The employers’ offer includes:

• A 1% salary increase with no back-dating
• A 24 month term from the date of signing (in effect a term of at least 30 months)
• All discretionary leave at the employers’ discretion
• Increase to number of teaching days from 185 to 204
• A working party to identify ways to improve productivity through more flexible hours of work.

Your team believes that no useful or substantive progress can be made in negotiations at this stage, and have adjourned.

We are now as a matter of urgency coming to a round of stop work meetings (we need to give employers 14 days of notice of these).

Their offer contains major clawbacks to your terms and conditions of employment and does not address key claims that you endorsed your TEU team to take in to negotiations.

Your team will therefore be recommending a proposed course of action at the stop work meetings, and a ballot for industrial action will be taken at the meetings.

These are very important meetings.”  Support your terms and conditions of employment and your negotiating team by ensuring you attend the stop work meeting at your institution. Details of meetings at your institutions will be sent out in the next few days.

Irena Brorens, Lead Advocate

On behalf of your bargaining team – Glennis Birks (Wintec), Rod Fearn (WITT), Sarah Hardman (Unitec), Sharon Phillips (Whitireia), Eric Stone (NorthTec), Robyn Tucker (BoPP), Chan Dixon”  Co – Advocate (TEU Organiser)