Update on collective agreement negotiation for primary teachers
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Last updated 29 September 2025
04 September Update
Following eight days of bargaining, a second offer for the renewal of the Primary teachers Collective Agreement was presented to NZEI Te Riu Roa on 4 September 2025. Following a vote from members, NZEI Te Riu Roa rejected the offer on 8 September 2025.
The revised offer aimed to meet many of the interests we have heard are important to primary teachers on a fiscally sustainable basis and deliver effective and responsive education services. The offer, for those on the maximum step for their qualification, would have provided a 4.7% increase within 12 months from the date of ratification. This would have taken the annual base pay for those on the top step (step 10) to $107,886.
In addition, the offer would have provided increases of between 10.2% and 19.0%, when including annual progression, over the term of the collective agreement.
Key elements of the offer
Phased increase of up to 4.7% over the term of the collective agreement:
From October 2025:
$2,448 for step 9 and $2,600 for step 10 of the trained teachers’ scale
$1,300 increase to untrained teacher rates and steps 1-8 for trained teachers.
From October 2026:
$2,108 for step 9 and $2,200 for step 10 of the trained teachers’ scale
$1,200 increase to untrained teacher rates and steps 1-8 for trained teachers.
Incorporation of Pay Equity terms for Speech Language Therapists:
From October 2025:
$2,600 for the top of the salary scale
$1,300 on other steps
From October 2026:
$2,200 for the top of the salary scale
$1,200 on other steps
Increases to Units:
From 28 January 2026:
Unit value to increase from $4,500 to $4,600
From 28 January 2027:
Unit value to increase from $4,600 to $4,700
Measures to address short term specialist knowledge supply issues in te reo Māori and Pacific Language teaching: extend the Māori Immersion Teaching Allowance and the Pacific Bilingual Immersion Teaching Allowance to untrained teachers (i.e. holders of a Limited Authority to Teach). This would allow provision of specialist knowledge in shortage areas for a limited time
Flexibility for Learning Support Coordinators: Greater ability for appointment of part-time coordinators for greater employment flexibility.
Maximising student learning time and professional learning and development opportunities for teachers: teachers can be required to go to their school (or elsewhere) for an additional 10 days during term breaks. It provides greater flexibility for teachers’ professional development to happen outside of term time. This would limit disruption for students and whānau by avoiding PLD held while school is in session.
The current base pay scale for primary teachers covered by 2022 to 2025 collective agreement ranges from $61,329 to $103,086.
Teachers may also receive allowances, management units and other payments. There is no standard pay for teachers. What teachers are paid is dependent on where they are on the base pay scale and a mix of units, allowances and other payments.
The average salary for all primary teachers in 2024 was $94,354.
The average starting salary for primary teachers in 2024 was $71,400.
Teachers who are not at the top of the base pay scale are also entitled to annual service-based pay progression of between $2,503 and $6,960. In percentage terms, pay progression ranges from 3.9% and 7.7%.
The proposed Terms of Settlement, including other elements of the offer can be found here.
