MINISTER HOPEFUL TEACHER PAY TALKS CLOSE TO RESUMPTION

Education Minister Wyatt Creech today expressed a hope that pay talks with the secondary teachers' union, the PPTA, could get underway very shortly.

"Informal talks between the Ministry of Education and the PPTA have made it very clear that the Government wants to get back to the table.

"The Ministry of Education is just waiting for the PPTA leadership to clearly state that it will set aside industrial action while negotiations are proceeding.

"The policy issues that previously blocked talks, I hope, are all but resolved," Mr Creech said.

"Based on indications that I have received it wouldn't take much to get there.

"I do not think it is unreasonable to ensure that the PPTA is not involved in active, official engagement in disputes while talks are on.

"Industrial action needs to be set aside to enable substantive negotiations to occur," Mr Creech said.