“A members’ victory” – the campaign for pay parity for primary teachers 1994-98

This collection records some of NZEI’s finest moments – when, against the odds, the collective strength of members achieved pay parity for primary teachers.

Initially, teachers sought a pay rise in the 1994-95 pay round after years of no rises in the era of the Employment Contracts Act.  The government was also intent on linking pay scales to performance.

But the main issue quickly became one of equity – why should primary teachers, who were predominantly women, be paid significantly less for a job with comparable skills, duties, responsibilities, experience and qualifications, than the more male workforce of secondary teachers?

A successful element of the campaign was the cartoon mascot “Susan” and her slogan, “If Susan wore size 12s her teacher would earn a lot more.”

Then-NZEI President Liz Parata said, “We were fed up with being the poor relation. Pay parity gave us equal status.”

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Watch the video	Read the History	Meet Susan