Fair Pay Agreement

NZEI Te Riu Roa has initiated a Fair Pay Agreement (FPA) against Early Childhood Education with the aim to set the minimum employment terms for all employees in all occupations within sector.

A FPA is different from Pay Parity and different again from Pay Equity.

Pay Parity – means the same pay for the same work across different employers, organisations and workplaces.

Pay Equity means women and men are paid the same for work that is different, but of equal value. (We have 13 Montessori centres involved with this).

The public notice of approval to initiate bargaining is here.

Employers Dates

DateAction/Action RequiredNotes
19 June, 2023MBIE notified NZEI it had approved its application to initiate bargaining. This went live on the MBIE dashboard on 21 June 2023
20 June, 2023NZEI notified employers of the approval 
From 21 June, 2023 As soon as possible but no later than 30 working days, on receipt of the NZEI notification of approval, employers must notify all their covered employees. The FPA covers all staff.Here is the template letter for employers to provide all employees
Download
By 3 August 2023Provide all covered employees with a copy of this form called “Fair Pay Agreements and Employee Contact Details document”. 
A penalty applies for not having notified your employees by this date, so please ensure you notify your employees within this timeframe. 		It is a good idea for employers to keep a record of which employees have elected to opt out from sharing their contact details.
3 August 2023This is the final day for employers to send contact details of employees who have not opted out using the form in the Employment Contact Details document above to NZEI.Email completed form to NZEI Te Riu Roa payparity@nzei.org.nz
22 Sept, 2023Bargaining party formed through MBIE approval process. 
FPA union meetings can commence from this date.		NZEI need to make arrangements with each employer to ensure that the employer’s business is maintained during the FPA meeting, including, where appropriate, an arrangement for sufficient employees to remain available during the meeting to enable the employer’s operations to continue. 

Under the FPA, NZEI can enter a centre and have discussions with staff. 

Formal FPA meetings can only take place once the bargaining sides have been approved by MBIE and NZEI is required to provide 14 days notice.
20 October 2023Potential commencement of bargaining. 

Employer Bargaining Side

Montessori Aotearoa NZ (MANZ) has applied to MBIE to be an Employer Bargaining Party. 

We will represent member employers and support the bargaining process on behalf for you. This will involve communicating and seeking your input throughout the process. No decisions will be made on your behalf without your agreement first.

Timings for Employer Bargaining Party

DateAction/Action RequiredNotes
19 June 2023MBIE Published Notice of Approval.This went live on the MBIE website on 22 June 2023
21 Sept, 2023Within three months of notice approval, applications must be made to MBIE to be an Employer Bargaining Party.Montessori Aotearoa New Zealand has applied to MBIE and waiting confirmation of approval. The Bargaining Party will be made up of a number of Associations who represent employers who meet the criteria outlined in the FPA Act.
22 Sept, 2023MBIE will announce who the bargaining party will be. 
20 October 2023Within 20 working days, the employer bargaining party must agree to an inter-party side agreement and appoint a bargaining side lead advocate.The inter-party side agreement details the conduct of the process the bargaining side will follow to make decisions relating to bargaining for the proposed FPA. 
From 20 October 2023Inter-party side agreement settled, bargaining can begin.Note: Bargaining will not commence until after the election.

 

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