Tertiary Education Union members at the six polytechnics that have been in negotiations for nearly a whole year now, have again rejected their employers' latest employment offer. Instead they are seeking facilitation under the Employment Relations Act.

Union members at the six polytechnics, NorthTec, Whitireia, Wintec, WITT, Unitec and Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, have been taking industrial action since September last year to protect their working conditions. Last year they offered to accept a zero pay increases at four of the polytechnics in return for retaining their existing employment conditions. However the employers have remained adamant throughout the dispute that they wish to increase duty days and reduce leave provisions for their staff.

Facilitation, as described under the Act, provides a process that enables parties to employment bargaining who are having serious and sustained difficulties in concluding a collective agreement to seek the assistance of the Employment Relations Authority.

The TEU and its predecessor unions have never had to use facilitation, as outlined in the Act, to resolve any previous dispute.

After a year of negotiations, if no agreement is reached, a collective agreement expires and the employer can start to offer individual agreements. The Polytechnic MECA expires on 1 March this year. However the employers have assured TEU that they "have no agenda of seeking to move to individual employment agreements for all staff".

TEU is requesting that during this next stage in the bargaining process and post 1 March polytechnics continue to honour the MECA, for all existing and new employees. If this happens TEU members will not take any industrial action over the coming weeks while the Authority considers its recommendation.