Primary teachers who are members of NZEI Te Riu Roa have voted to accept a pay settlement, closing out this round of bargaining.

Under the agreement, teachers on the top two steps of the salary scale receive a total pay increase of 4.7% by January 2027 — a 2.5% lift effective today and a further 2.1% in January next year. Teachers moving up the scale continue to get their annual step progression alongside pay increases of around 4.5% to 4.6% over the same period.

“From today, teachers at the top of the scale will, on average, receive an extra $50 (before tax) in their pockets every week, increasing to $92 a week in January,” Sir Brian said. He described the outcome as providing certainty for teachers and schools and said the salary settings are unchanged from the offer that has been on the table since December.

The settlement also makes a targeted change to the value of salary units — payments that recognise extra classroom responsibilities — lifting them in stages from $4,500 to $5,500 by October 2028. Officials emphasised this adjustment does not alter the 4.7% salary increase figure.

Sir Brian said his only regret was how long the process took, noting that reaching agreement earlier would have delivered about $550 (before tax) extra to teachers since December. He thanked the Employment Relations Authority for supporting the talks and acknowledged both NZEI Te Riu Roa and the Ministry of Education bargaining teams.

Primary teachers on Individual Employment Agreements will receive the same salary rates as those in the collective. The release did not outline other changes beyond the salary and unit value adjustments. Further detail is available on the Education Workforce website.