The union for primary school teachers, the NZEI, says the issue of poor pay for special education support workers won't go away simply because the Government refuses to recognise it.
The NZEI says a review earlier this year found that the wages of support workers, who are mainly women, are up to $8 per hour lower than those of prison officers, who are mainly men.
It says the two occupations require similar skills and demands.
The union says that while it was originally agreed the review's findings would form the basis for wage bargaining, the Government is refusing to negotiate.
Listen to more on the pay gap between men and women in Insight, after the 8am on Radio New Zealand National.
