MEDICAL RETIREMENT PILOT MEMBERSHIP RATIFICATION BALLOT

March 2007

KEY POINTS:

• A new medical retirement provision has been in operation for teachers in the secondary sector. NZEI and the PPTA have negotiated a variation to the Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement (ASTCA) to include a similar provision as a pilot scheme for area school teachers.
• The new provision will enable teachers with a serious illness to exit teaching with dignity and allow boards of trustees to make permanent replacement appointments immediately.
• NZEI and PPTA are conducting ratification ballots to vary the ASTCA. If members vote in favour of ratification, this will enable these provisions to be made available to area school teachers.
• A copy of the guidelines explaining these new provisions can be viewed here.

ACTION:

NZEI Worksite representatives:

• Please ensure that all NZEI members who are covered by the ASTCA have the opportunity to read the attached medical retirement guidelines.
• Organise a meeting of those members and conduct a ratification ballot. Record the number of votes for and against the proposed variation.
• Fax the ballot return to us by no later than midday Friday 16th March 2007.

ENQUIRIES:

For further enquiries contact your local NZEI Te Riu Roa field staff officer, NZEI regional office, or NZEI national office.

 

5 March 2007                                                                                          

Kia ora

The Secondary Teachers Longer Term Work Programme (LTWP) developed a medical retirement (serious illness) provision for secondary school teachers who, through serious illness, are unable to teach currently or at any time in the foreseeable future.

NZEI and the PPTA have negotiated a proposed variation to the Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement (ASTCA) to include a similar medical retirement (serious illness) provision for area school teachers. That variation must now be ratified by both PPTA and NZEI members covered by the ASTCA before it can be implemented.

This is an alternative provision to the existing medical retirement provision for terminally ill teachers. A teacher with a terminal illness may apply for medical retirement under either the terminal illness provision or the serious illness provision but not both, and will be entitled to one payment only.

The new provision will enable eligible teachers to exit teaching with dignity and allow boards of trustees to make permanent replacement appointments immediately.

It will operate as a pilot scheme through to 30 June 2007.

NZEI is recommending that members vote in favour of ratifying this variation. The provisions should be read carefully by all teacher members in area schools. There are a number of potentially positive benefits for members in these provisions. However, members do need to note that the provisions do also enable a Board to initiate a medical retirement process so it is important that the provisions are well understood.

These provisions are one of the spin offs from the LTWPs in which both unions have been involved. There is still a significant amount of work to be done on the Area Schools LTWP. There is to be a joint meeting of the NZEI / PPTA area schools reference groups on 23 March to discuss the way forward on both the LTWP and the process for development of this year’s claims for the renewal of the ASTCA.

Further information will be sent to members immediately following that meeting.

Kia kaha, kia toa, kia manawanui

Neil Hammond and Jane Porter
Advocates

PROPOSED VARIATION TO THE AREA SCHOOL TEACHERS’ COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT (ASTCA)  

Medical Retirement (Serious Illness) Provisions

NZEI worksite representative: please record numbers of votes below.

 

Name of School

 

Number of NZEI members covered by the ASTCA voting in favour of the proposed variation

 

Number of NZEI members covered by the ASTCA voting against the proposed variation

 

NZEI worksite representative: Please complete this ballot paper and return by fax to:

NZEI National Office
Fax: (04) 384 9401
Attention: Jane Porter/Neil Hammond

BY NO LATER THAN MIDDAY ON FRIDAY 16 MARCH 2007

For office use:

NZEI Negotiations ASTCA 2007/01
Page 3 of 3
To: All Area Schools
File: 325.03