The New SSCA

Comment

Comment by John Ferguson on September 20, 2011 at 10:27am

It was one thing that I did try and make clear to the people at our meeting that we have had no pay rise for 6 months of this year so cut what we did get in half..

Comment by Tim Funnell on September 20, 2011 at 10:24am

To John Ferguson, our meeting went well, although I was dissapointed with the amount of increase we got I voted to accept it.  One thing I had forgotten about is this is the second ratification we have had this year, the first as a big fat zero, zilch, nada from the ministry

Comment by John Ferguson on September 20, 2011 at 8:57am

Agree with what you say about new support staff joining the union, why would they? A new starter gets 62c an hour less than me, which goes down now that the pay has been ratified to 47c, next round to 32c and then stabalises out at that, I know in that job I only work for 10 hours but remember well when there wer increments in the A scale taht at least gave you some feeling of advancement. The B scale is similar, 80,76,69c so we are all losing to the newcomers. Does the amount of pay rise that we get come even close to what we pay in subs each week? Look at that and the answer is no so leaving the union is in itself a pay rise.And the leadership want to put the subs up as well what have we got for leaders.
Tim how did your meeting go?

Comment by Margaret Stormont on September 19, 2011 at 4:09pm

I was not surprised to see that the agreement was ratified - at the meetings the NZEI staff were pushing it as a good deal and most support staff thought anything was better than nothing and they are scared of losing their jobs or hours.  What annoys me is the length of the term of the agreement, I could of understood and accepted 1.5% for this year if it was going to be renegotiated again next year.  Talk has been going on for years about funding for support staff how many more years is it going to take? But then while support staff keep accepting scraps no one will take us seriously. I have been in the job for 17 years and worked hard for NZEI in the earlier years, alot of support staff aren't intertested in joining the union as they get what we get anyway most of the time.  I am one disillusioned support staff worker.

Comment by John Ferguson on September 7, 2011 at 2:11pm

I agree Tim I was told that my posts were being monitored by head office so I am visibly shaking in my boots at that remark. You are right that we have to just keep the momentum on until something happens as it seems that very few people are ready to rock the boat as they say. Have fun at your PUM,perhaps I should have came to yours instead of the one here in Whakatane I may have been given more of a chance to speak.

Comment by Tim Funnell on September 7, 2011 at 12:45pm

John, Re the"after the showing at the PUM on Monday", I'm not surprised.  Our PUM hasn't happened yet but I'm picking that there will be less than half the members here will turn up, just like last time.  I think the only thing we can do is keep making a noise, until they ban us.  While I like the idea about being paid from the central pot like teachers, the government won't stand for it.  If they do, they will restrict the number of SS that a school can hire, and in the end school will have to have less support staff and they have now

Comment by John Ferguson on September 7, 2011 at 12:10pm

Tim after the showing at the PUM on Monday I feel really sorry for those that have to rely on the pay that they get now. The payrise is a mockery and will show when people can no longer afford to do what they love doing because the union has sold them out. Inflation is going to be with us for a long while and there is nothing we can do about it, it was up to our negotiating team to fight for it. Be it 18 months or 29 months there will still be nothing to be gained if the union do not negotiate.