The primary teachers union's asking the the Employment Relations Authority for urgent mediation as pay talks hit an impasse. 

NZEI says it's not happy with the Ministry of Education's pay-rise offer, sitting between 2.1 and 2.5 percent - alongside the rising cost of living.

Lead union negotiator Liam Rutherford says teachers also want recognition of the work adapting to widespread curriculum changes. 

"We're hearing from teachers across the country that it isn't just the size of the change, it's also the speed in which the Minister of Education wants it done by."

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