Kaiarahi i te Reo, Therapists', ATSSD and SEA' Collective Agreement

Part 3 - Remuneration

3.1    Special Education Assistants

3.1.1 Salaries payable to special education assistants are:

3.1.2 Scale increments - special education assistants shall, upon the completion of 12 months service at each step, advance to the next step on the salary scale until the maximum step is reached.   This is provided that the employer attests that the employee has met or exceeded standards of performance as assessed by the employer against the written requirements of the position.  Where written requirements do not exist the employee will be consulted in determining the written requirements.

3.2    Kaiarahi i te Reo and ATSSD

3.2.1 Salaries payable to kaiarahi i te reo are: 

3.2.2 Salaries payable to ASTTD are: 

3.2.3 Relieving employees - A relieving employee shall be paid a salary at the appropriate rate specified in 3.2.1 or 3.2.2 above.

3.2.4 An employee may upon appointment be placed at any point within the appropriate salary scale under 3.2.1 or 3.2.2 above.  Factors to be considered in deciding the actual starting rate include:

(i) previous relevant paid or unpaid work experience;
(ii) level of skill required for the position;
(iii) recognition of qualifications;
(iv) level of responsibility required for the position;
(v) the level of te reo Maori and understanding of nga tikanga Maori required for the position;
(vi) the ease or difficulty in recruiting and/or retaining the specific skills and/or experience required for the position.

3.2.5 Scale increments - On completion of one year’s service on a step on the salary scale employees shall be paid on the next higher step until the maximum step is reached.  This is provided that the employer attests that the employee has met or exceeded standards of performance as assessed by the employer against the written requirements of the position.  Where written requirements do not exist the employee will be consulted in determining the written requirements.

Note:  Movement to steps 16 and 17 is subject to 3.2.6.

3.2.6 Movement for kaiarahi i te reo and ATSSD to step 16 and 17, after one year’s service on each step, is subject to the employer attesting that the employee has met or exceeded standards of performance, and shown proven initiative in the performance of their duties, as assessed by the employer against the written requirements of the position.  Where written requirements do not exist the employee will be consulted in determining the written requirements.

3.2.7 Shared positions - Employees who are in shared positions shall be paid on a proportion of the salary rate that they would have been paid had they been employed full-time, excluding any allowances to which they would otherwise have been entitled.

3.3    Therapists

3.3.1 This shall include all positions with the following or similar designations:

• Charge physiotherapists and occupational therapists;
• Sole charge physiotherapists and occupational therapists;
• Staff physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

Translation and progression

3.3.2    The salaries listed are minimum rates of pay: 

3.3.3 Translation from the existing therapist pay scale (effective 30 July 2007) to the new pay scale (effective from 2 January 2008) as follows:

From 2 January 2008, therapists will translate horizontally across from their current step on the existing therapist pay scale to their new step on the new pay scale in accordance with the table in 3.3.2 above and the following clauses:

(a) Therapists on step 1 and 2 of the existing pay scale will translate to step 1 ($41,200) of the new pay scale.
(b) Therapists on step 12 of the existing pay scale will translate to step 11 ($64,930) of the new pay scale.

3.3.4 Incremental progress on the pay scale shall be on an annual basis providing the employer assesses that the employee has met or exceeded the agreed performance objectives for the position. The introduction of the new pay scale from 2 January 2008 will not affect therapists’ anniversary date for salary progression, except as provided under 3.3.5 below.

3.3.5 (a) Notwithstanding clause 3.3.4 above, therapists whose anniversary date for salary progression falls between 3 July, 2007 and 3 January, 2008, and who translate to step 11 of the new pay scale on 3 July 2007, will not progress to step 12 of the new pay scale until 4 January 2008. Therapists who progress to step 12 on 4 January 2008 shall have their anniversary date, for the purposes of any future pay progression, changed to 4 January.

Note: This subclause was part of the previous settlement of this agreement and refers to translation issues associated with the 3 July 2007 scale. The steps referred to are those in column (i) in 3.3.2 above.

(b) In relation to translation to step 12 of the 2 January 2008 scale, this shall occur on the employees next anniversary taking into account 3.3.5(a) above (e.g., an employee whose anniversary date is or becomes 4 January 2008 may access the new step 12 on 4 January 2009).

3.3.6 Any employee paid in excess of $42,000 at the time of settlement of the Support Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreement 2001-2003 as per clause 3.9.5 of that agreement shall retain that rate until it is exceeded by progression from which point progression as per clauses 3.3.4 and 3.3.5 will apply.  Any additional salary payments may continue to be paid by a board at their discretion from their own funding.

3.3.7 A therapist (either full-time or part-time) who retained their hours of work based on a 30 hour week as per 2.6.2 (b) of this agreement shall retain that salary, until through incremental movement that salary would be less than 0.8 of the new rate on the current scale, before an increase would apply.

Appointment

Note: Clauses 3.3.8-3.3.10 shall not apply to appointments made before 2 January 2008.

3.3.8 A therapist shall, upon initial appointment, be placed on a step in the salary scale in accordance with their relevant academic or professional qualification(s) and recognised previous relevant service. 

3.3.9 As a guide, a therapist who has a relevant academic or professional qualification(s) but who has no recognised previous relevant service should be placed in the salary scale according to the following:

Relevant Academic or Professional Qualification(s) and entry steps

• A three year (360 credit) Bachelor Degree - step 1
• A four year (480 credit) Bachelor Degree - step 1 
• A three-year (360 credit) Bachelor Degree plus a one-year (120 credit) Graduate (level 7) Diploma - step 1
• A Bachelor Degree plus a one-year (120 credit) Post-Graduate (level 8) Diploma - step 2
• A Masters Degree - step 3 
• A Masters Degree plus a one – year (120 credit) Post – Graduate (level 8 or higher) Diploma - step 4

3.3.10 A therapist who, in addition to their relevant academic or professional qualification(s), has recognised previous relevant service shall be credited with a further step in the scale for each completed full-time year of recognized previous relevant service up to step 8. Recognised previous relevant part-time service shall be credited on a pro-rata basis. For the purposes of this provision:

(i) Recognised previous relevant service shall include service in New Zealand as an Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist.
(ii) Recognised previous relevant service may also include other service relevant to the employee’s position.
(iii) Less than full credit may be given on appointment for other related, but not directly relevant, experience.

3.4    Review Process

Where an employee wishes to have their salary review reconsidered they shall refer the matter to the Board of Trustees.  The employee shall have the right to representation at any stage.

3.5    Part Time Employees

Except as provided under 3.3.7 the salary of a part-time employee shall be a proportion of the rate in the basic scale which would apply to that employee if the employee were employed full-time.

3.6    Direct Crediting of Salaries

Salaries shall be paid fortnightly by direct credit to the employee's nominated bank account.  However, individual employees may on religious or ethical grounds apply to the board of trustees to be paid by cheque.

3.7    Recognised Qualifications

3.7.1 Employees, other than therapists, holding qualifications agreed between the Secretary for Education and NZEI Te Riu Roa shall be paid an allowance, as follows:

(a) Group One: $500 per annum
(b) Group Two: $750 per annum
(c) Group Three: $1000 per annum.

3.7.2 The allowance shall be pro-rated for part-time employees.

3.7.3 Only one allowance shall be paid which shall be for the highest qualification held by the employee.  Upon obtaining a higher recognised qualification the employee shall become eligible for the higher payment.

3.7.4 The list of recognised qualifications as at 1 September 2006 is annexed as Appendix A to this agreement.

3.7.5 The list reflects qualifications that have been deemed relevant to the work of the occupational groups to which this agreement is applicable.  In general terms Group One reflects qualifications registered on the NZ Qualifications Framework at level 4, and those agreed to be of an equivalent level.  It includes teacher aide qualifications registered on the NZQF at level 3 or other teacher aide qualifications from registered providers agreed to be of an equivalent level.  Group Two reflects qualifications registered on the NZQF at levels 5-6 and those agreed to be of an equivalent level.  Group Three reflects qualifications registered on the NZQF at levels 7-8 and those agreed to be of an equivalent level, including all New Zealand degrees, all graduate and post-graduate certificates and diplomas, and the Ministry of Education verified He Tohu Matauranga.

3.7.6 The parties may from time to time agree to recognise additional qualifications during the term of this agreement.  The revised list of qualifications will be held by the Secretary for Education and NZEI Te Riu Roa.  The complete list at any time will be available on the Ministry of Education website (www.minedu.govt.nz) and the NZEI website (www.nzei.org.nz).