Over 120 psychologists working in schools and early childhood centers have given notice of a nationwide strike beginning tomorrow.

From 5am on Tuesday 5 October to 5pm on Tuesday 2 November, psychologists employed at the Ministry of Education will stop accepting further referrals of cases onto their caseload.

APEX Union represents the majority of psychologists employed by the Ministry of Education and over the weekend members voted overwhelmingly to begin a nationwide campaign of industrial action to get the Government to front up with a commitment to fix the retention crisis of psychologists within the education sector.[1]

“After eight months of failed negotiations with the Ministry of Education it’s time to draw a line in the sand – we need urgent investment from the Government in the salaries paid to psychologists at the Ministry,” said Dr Deborah Powell, national secretary the APEX Union.

“‘The Ministry of Education is hemorrhaging experienced psychologists and unless it fixes safe caseloads in place and lifts pay rates for senior psychologists by $12,000 to bring them into line with DHB psychologists the workforce crisis will continue,” continued Dr Powell.

“Our members are proud of the work they do with New Zealand’s most vulnerable young people but the current situation is unsustainable. Last year nearly 3000 children and young people were sitting on waiting lists for learning support from the Ministry of Education and because of the Covid’s impact on young people and education the situation is getting worse.

“Psychologists can provide support to these children to allow them to remain in education but not if the Government refuses to pay them consistently with other parts of the Government sector. With over 50 psychologist vacancies nationwide the Ministry urgently needs to return to the table with a sensible offer on pay and workload,” concluded Dr Powell, national secretary of APEX.

 

ENDS

 

Contact:

Dr Deborah Powell, National Secretary

M: 021 614 040

 

Factsheet on Psychologists at the Ministry of Education

 

  • The Ministry of Education employs just over 200 psychologists to provide learning support to children through the severe and challenging behaviour, intensive wraparound service and as part of traumatic incident responses to schools.

 

  • Psychologists provide assessments and interventions to help parents, caregivers and teachers improve the behaviour, wellbeing and learning outcomes for children and young people who are affected by a range of social, emotional and developmental challenges including: autism spectrum disorder, traumatic childhood events, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, homelessness, dyslexia, anxiety, and aggressive or self-harming behaviour.

 

  • Ministry of Education psychologists are the last public safety net for children and young people at risk of exclusion or disengagement with the education system and play a key role in ensuring and advocating for the right of students with special educational needs to be enrolled in full time education.

 

  • Bargaining between APEX, the Ministry of Education and the NZEI for renewal of a collective agreement covering learning support workers broke down in late September after eight months of negotiations. Throughout the negotiations the Ministry of Education has engaged in repeated bad faith bargaining including withdrawing agreement to previously agreed clauses and presenting offers worse than what union members have already voted down.

 

  • There are systemic problems with retaining psychologists at the Ministry of Education. There are over 50 psychologist vacancies nationwide, 1 in 5 psychologists leaves the Ministry each year, and the average length of service is less than seven years – in the Wellington region it is 3.5 years.

 

  • The loss each year of large numbers of senior psychologists mean in many regions there is a lack of senior psychologists with the experience and skills to deal with the most complex cases and provide guidance, supervision and support to new graduate and intern psychologists.

 

  • APEX members are striking to: (1) lift pay rates for senior psychologists from the current pay rate of $96,000 to parity with DHB senior psychologists – $108,000. APEX members were offered $97,000 for senior psychologists and voted the offer down overwhelmingly; and (2) get a commitment to implement caseload guidelines of no more than 15 cases per full time psychologist, some psychologists are allocated double that number.

 

  • APEX has requested further mediated bargaining to progress to a settled collective agreement.

 

[1] APEX Union represents allied health professionals including radiographers, medical laboratory workers, anaesthetic technicians, radiation therapists, psychologists, clinical physiologists and others.

Contact APEX