The Government's latest offer to secondary teachers was slammed as ''last minute, half-hearted, and disrespectful'' at a meeting in Invercargill yesterday.
Almost 400 Southland secondary school teachers attended a Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) union meeting to decide whether to accept the offer made by the Government earlier this month.
PPTA members made a claim for better pay and working conditions in August.
Addressing the teachers, PPTA national executive member for Southland Chris Abercrombie said the Government's offer ''goes nowhere to fixing the issues'' the profession faced.
Following the meeting, Southland PPTA chairman Bill Claridge said yesterday's decision would not be released until all 34 regional union meetings had been held.
If the offer is declined by teachers, it is likely they will hold a one-day strike in the first term of next year.
