Teaching staff who are union members at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) have voted by a 96 percent majority to take industrial action in protest at a zero percent pay offer from their employer. TEU members have not yet decided when the industrial action will take place, but are saying that it is very likely to include a strike.

The issues that led the tutors and lecturers to strike are a zero percent pay offer from their employer, and proposed changes to their professional development entitlement.”  Currently they each have an individual entitlement to professional development funding of about $800 per year.”  Their employer wants to replace that with a central pool of funding that staff would need to apply to. NMIT has not said in its offer to the the staff how much money would be in that pool.

TEU organiser Phil Dyhrberg says that union members were very reluctant to strike. “They have already considerably amended their pay claim down and have very few other issues they want addressed. We believe we have made a claim that is fair for both NMIT and their employees and their families.”