Nature In The Balance: EDS Wraps Up Landmark Dollars And Sense Conference
Press Release – EDS
The Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has concluded its landmark 2025 Dollars and Sense Conference in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, drawing together over 350 delegates across government, business, iwi, academia, and civil society for three days of frank, future-focused conversation on aligning economic systems with ecological realities.
The conference, subtitled Making the Economy Work for Nature, comes at a pivotal moment for Aotearoa New Zealand. The Government talks a lot about economic growth. But the question asked at the conference was: how can we achieve that growth while also restoring and protecting our natural environment? And to what extent is the long term prosperity of the country dependant on thriving nature?
The event opened with an oceans symposium, which you can read about here, and was followed by two full days of intensive discussion on climate change, energy, biodiversity, freshwater, land use, environmental law reform, and the green economy.
Day one began with sobering international and local updates on biodiversity loss, climate instability and systemic risks, urging more adaptive governance and stronger investment in prevention and resilience. We are in a moment of accelerating risk, but we are not without options. The challenge is having the courage to take them.
The conference explored how to reshape land use practices to enhance biodiversity and carbon resilience. Speakers including Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton raised concerns about perverse incentives driving pine afforestation in our rural landscapes. Many called for greater support for place-based native ecosystem restoration and more robust data systems.
Te Maire Tau challenged delegates to rethink environmental governance through a te ao Māori lens, including proposals for smart water markets that internalise environmental costs and ensure shared obligations. Legal personhood for nature and recognition of mauri in environmental decision-making were highlighted as models with growing potential.
A central theme was the opportunity within the green economy. EU Ambassador Lawrence Meredith offered insight into Europe's progress toward net zero, while Dr Rod Carr outlined the economic logic of energy transformation. 'The business case is made. The technology is proven. The funding is available,' said Dr Carr. 'Our choices are the only thing in the way.' Sir Ian Taylor urged us to 'fast track to the future' and not to the past.
Resource management reform was another major focus. Reforming the Resource Management Act has the potential to deliver win-wins for the economy and nature. But delegates heard very little of that from Minister Bishop and Under Secretary Simon Court. While many acknowledged the need for change, there was deep concern about the current direction of travel, described by some as dis-integrated and driven by political urgency rather than long-term environmental planning. Multiple speakers expressed frustration about the erosion of environmental protections and the absence of robust national bottom lines.
The over-arching message from the conference was that nature is not a handbrake on economic growth. The two can go hand in hand and need to do so. But this will require clear-headed and clever thinking on the issues, something that has been lacking in recent political discourse.
'This year marks the 20th anniversary of EDS's environmental conferences. For two decades we've been creating spaces for these vital conversations. Finding solutions has never been more important,' said EDS CEO Gary Taylor.
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NZ Herald
3 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Seymour on Māori funding: Need over race in Government policy shift
He went from being abused at Waitangi this year to the Bombay Hills to the opening of Tipene, St Stephen's School, a new charter school on the former site of the old St Stephen's College, which was closed in 2000. Untangling Government targeting can be confusing. Apparently funding for Māori-focused schools, be it charter or kura kaupapa, is fine. But funding for a Māori Health Authority, Te Aka Whai Ora, ended last year, and the authority was disestablished. Specific funding for Māori housing programmes was cut from Budget 2025, and funding for Māori trades training was cut. But funding for Māori wardens was increased, and continued for Whānau Ora. It is okay for Māori health providers to be contracted to increase immunisation rates for Māori babies. But when ACC tendered this year for expertise to reduce work injuries for Māori and Pacific people in the manufacturing sector, where they are over-represented, Act contacted the ACC Minister, and the Minister asked ACC to rethink. Ethnicity has been removed as one of five factors in what is called an equity adjustor for waiting lists in the health system, and a move by the last Government has been scrapped to screen Māori at a younger age for bowel cancer on the basis that they get it earlier. So when is targeting okay and not okay for Māori under Seymour's philosophical approach? Essentially, it's when all factors other than race have been ruled out. But he is defensive about the way Act has been criticised for it. 'In a lot of this debate, people assume we are opposed a group of people or a culture where in actual fact we are opposed to an arbitrary way it comes about.' When it comes to charter schools, Seymour says they present no discrimination, and that the fact that some are set up for Māori is neither an advantage or disadvantage. "There is a misconception that I and Act are opposed to anything Māori," says David Seymour. Photo / Mark Mitchell 'There is no discrimination in the policy. It says if you want to set up a school you must basically demonstrate three things: that you've got an idea, that you've got capacity to plausibly deliver on it and that you have community support. A wide range of people were doing it, including a kaupapa Māori school. 'The thing there is nothing in the policy that says you have advantage or disadvantage in being a Māori school.' The difference with the Māori Health Authority On the other hand, the Māori Health Authority had effectively said that New Zealand would have two health commissioning agencies because the most important thing about a person was their ethnicity.' 'With a charter school, by contrast, there's no putting different patients into different boxes,' said Seymour. 'People themselves can choose a school with a certain style. The difference is that charter schools are bottom-up. The Māori Health Authority was top-down.' Seymour cites the Cabinet Office Circular headed 'Needs-based service provision', which was issued to all in September last year as part of National's coalition agreements with Act and NZ First to set out its expectation that services should be delivered on the basis of need, not race. The salient parts state: 'The Government seeks to ensure that all New Zealanders, regardless of ethnicity or personal identity, have access to public services that are appropriate and effective for them, and that services are not arbitrarily allocated on the basis of ethnicity or any other aspect of identity. The circular draws on international law, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, for temporary circumstances in which affirmative action is acceptable. It quotes the convention: 'Special measures taken for the sole purpose of securing adequate advancement of certain racial or ethnic groups or individuals requiring such protection as may be necessary in order to ensure such groups or individuals equal enjoyment or exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms shall not be deemed racial discrimination, provided, however, that such measures do not, as a consequence, lead to the maintenance of separate rights for different racial groups and that they shall not be continued after the objectives for which they were taken have been achieved'. The circular is essentially Government policy and sets expectations for ministers, chief executives and officials involved in service design, commissioning, and delivery of government services. Voucher system in tertiary education Seymour does not have a problem with the variety in the education system but does have a problem with any affirmative action courses that have lower standards for Māori or other groups. 'Tertiary education now, at least, is essentially a voucher system,' he said. 'You go to any registered tertiary institution and the state will fund your places. 'Do I have a problem, for example, with Te Waananga? No. If people want to go to the University of Auckland, they should. If they want to go to the Waananga, they should. Will they get different treatment at each one? Probably, but that's a pluralistic society. 'That I don't have a problem with.' But he was completely opposed to lower standards of admission for Māori to say, medical school. 'That is different access to opportunity based on your race, versus presenting and delivering the opportunity in different ways in a marketplace place and the latter I completely support, and that's what charter schools are.' He said he recently chastised a supporter of his who had complained about a netball tournament in Whanganui where you had to speak Māori for the whole tournament, and you could be penalised for speaking English. 'And I just said, 'Why is this a problem?'' It was no different to a camp for French language students where you could speak only French at the camp and there would be no problem with that. 'We have no problem with multiculturalism. It's discrimination and preferential allocation of resources that we have a problem with.' Seymour said he did not have a problem with using Māori health providers to have better access to Māori patients with defined needs. 'If you can genuinely show that ethnicity is your variable and that is better than any other way in making sure that all patients get better service, then we support that. 'But what we don't support is a framework where the starting premise of the law is that we are divided into tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti, and that is the lens through which we must always look. That I think is wrong. 'There is a misconception that I and Act are somehow opposed to anything Māori. We are really not.' Changes to ACC targeting So why did Act object to ACC's tender to reduce work injuries in the manufacturing sector, with targets for Māori and Pacific workers who have disproportionately higher injuries? 'There are two very different things here,' said Seymour. 'Do we believe in devolution and competition, and choice in the delivery of social services and we absolutely do. 'But then there is the question of 'should you then group your patients and commission different levels of service, regardless of who the providers are, by their ethnic background?' ACC Minister Scott Simpson had initially believed he had followed the cabinet circular, said Seymour. 'But the cabinet is very clear. It says you can use ethnicity as a variable for directing resources but you need to be very sure there aren't other variables that you could have used first – because we have so much more data than just a person's ethnicity and we can do far more accurate targeting if we are prepared to use the richness of data we have in the IDI [Statistics NZ's Integrated Data Infrastructure] rather than just defaulting to race. 'We need to be a lot more nuanced and sophisticated in our use of data,' said Seymour. ACC has since changed its practices. New guidance for staff has been developed to support the application of the Cabinet Office Circular to ACC's commissioning practices, said Andy Milne, ACC deputy chief executive for strategy, engagement and prevention. 'This will ensure that we evidence the need for any targeted commissioning and demonstrate that we are following the guidelines set out in the Government's circular.' ACC data showed that Māori and Pacific people disproportionately experience high injury rates in the manufacturing sector, which is one of five high-risk priority areas for ACC. In 2024, 18% of work-related weekly compensation claims in manufacturing impacted Māori (Māori constitute 14% of the workforce), and 11% of work-related weekly compensation claims in manufacturing impacted Pacific people (10% of the workforce). The original tender sought a target outcome of 5461 claims to be saved by the end of the benefit realisation period (approximately 10 years from the delivery phase). At least 18% of the claims saved were to be from Māori, and 11% from Pacific people. After Act and the minister's intervention, the tender was reissued by ACC without the ethnic targets, and closed last week. Targeted services is 'good government' Nicola Willis took the paper on the circular to cabinet last year as Public Service Minister, and it also revoked the previous Government's affirmative action, the progressive procurement policy, which aimed to get Government agencies to award 8% of their contracts to Māori businesses. 'I am concerned that retaining targets for a specific group (or groups) of businesses based on ethnicity sends the wrong signal to agencies about awarding contracts first and foremost on public value,' Willis wrote. 'I consider this approach, regardless of how carefully it is implemented, leaves an impression of an uneven playing field and a perception (whether warranted or not) of potential discrimination.' The cabinet paper acknowledges the benefits of targeted services, not just to ethnically defined groups but disabled people, seniors, people living in rural area or those with diverse sexualities or gender identities. 'Services targeted or designed for specific population groups are an established feature of good government,' she wrote. But where targeted services were proposed, 'I expect these to be informed by clear evidence of a disparity, and evidence that culturally responsive or population-specific service models would be more effective. In other words, targeted services should coincide with a focus on need…' She said the proposals were consistent with the Crown's obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi. 'We are committed to achieving equitable outcomes for all New Zealanders, and I acknowledge this will often require services targeted or tailored to specific ethnic population groups, subject to the analytical rigour proposed in the circular to confirm such need.' 'I believe the need is overwhelming." Labour Social Development spokesman Willie Jackson. Photo / Mark Mitchell Former Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson was one of the first to condemn cuts to targeted programmes in this year's Budget, including the Māori Trade and Training. 'The Government should hang its head in shame after a budget that takes a knife to more Māori programmes,' he said on Budget day. He felt it keenly. For six years as a minister in the Labour-led Government, he worked with Finance Minister Grant Robertson to build up targeted funding for Māori to a total of about $1b a year by 2023. He also drove the now-ditched progressive procurement policy for Māori businesses to get a slice of the $50b annual procurement of Government agencies. In his view, targeted funding, particularly using Māori providers in health and social services, is the most effective way of getting to Māori in the most need. 'I believe the need is overwhelming and the facts show the need is overwhelming in terms of Māori,' he told the Herald. 'There is a big group and a growing group who just trust Māori processes, and their Māori health provider. And they are shell-shocked at the moment.' 'Our people trust our people' He believes the reason Seymour is averse to targeting on race is because it was his way of 'walking away from Treaty obligations.' So why did Labour decide to set up a Māori Health Authority? Was it a Treaty obligation or a measure for more targeted delivery? 'The inability to access health was a huge factor in terms of the Māori Health Authority. Always at the forefront was need, but of course the Treaty was there too,' said Jackson. 'But I believe we always operated from a position of need, and Māori absolutely fulfilled that criteria. That is why I pushed so hard over that time for targeted Māori funding. 'He can call it racist, but our people trust our people.' There were 'incredible gaps' in Māori statistics that needed to be addressed with ''for Māori, by Māori' strategies.' And he believes most New Zealanders supported it. 'They just want common sense. They want fairness. They don't want extreme in terms of the Māori stuff and where Māori funding is due. They don't want separate everything.' Jackson was not sure if Labour would go to next year's election promising to reinstate the Māori Health Authority, Te Aka Whai Ora. 'But we will bring back in absolutely Māori-targeted funding. We are committed to targeted funding,' he said. 'We have learnt some of the lessons of the past' 'The reality is Māori want more funding and more resources. I just want to get our people the necessary funding and resources. 'It doesn't have to be in any separate entities, and maybe it won't be if we get back in because we have to learn some of the lessons of the past.' But Robertson acknowledged that funding and resourcing for Māori had been minimal. That was why target funding under Labour rose so much. 'And that is no racist funding. That is funding based on need. 'But also, there is a Treaty obligation. We are a partner, and that's how governments should look at things,' said Jackson. 'It doesn't mean that there is a Māori takeover. It is just an acknowledgement that the biggest need in this country is Māori.' While Jackson believes that National is 'buckling' to David Seymour's view of targeting, it is clear that National's ministers are less vexed by it. 'It was a fiscal, not philosophical' Speaking about the Budget in May, Social Development Minister Louise Upston justified ending funding for Māori Trades and Training on the basis it had been time-limited funding and that was where she first looked for savings. 'The Māori Trades Training fund was established during Covid times and then extended in 2022 and due to expire 30 June 2025,' she said. 'For things that were due to end, there had to be a very, very strong reason why I would have to continue them and have to find savings elsewhere.' Budget 2025 had focused on employment, and the intervention that had been the most successful was case management 'so that is where we have focused the resources'. In the past year, it had funded $21 million for 52 providers for expenses incurred on programmes that supported Māori through Trades and Training. But Upston insisted it was a fiscal decision, not a philosophical one based on the Cabinet Office Circular approved by Cabinet. Louise Upston said the focus in this year's budget went on case management. Photo / Mark Mitchell 'Totally and absolutely. It had nothing to do with the name of it. I looked at all programmes that had a time limit.' She said she had felt no need to conduct any reviews of programmes in Social Development in the light of the circular. 'If you look at Social Development, it is pretty clear who is over-represented in job seeker numbers. It is young people, it is Māori, it is Pasifika, it is disabled and to a lesser degree, women. 'What I wanted to do is make sure we are funding initiatives that are effective, and we have data and evidence to prove they have the greatest impact at supporting people back into employment.' The He Poutama Rangatahi programme for young people not in education, employment or training (Neets) continued, with $33 million, down from $44 million, but that is targeted at all Neets. Housing Minister Chris Bishop, with Finance Minister Nicola Willis, says he wants a more granular housing system. Photo / Mark Mitchell Housing funding consolidated Housing Minister Chris Bishop said the targeted Māori housing fund, Whai Kainga Whai Oranga, administered by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Te Puni Kokiri, had been consolidated into a single funding source with several other housing funds. 'The money hasn't disappeared. It has just been consolidated into a different fund, and one of the things that fund will be looking at is who they can partner with in order to deliver houses for people in need. 'The intention is for the Government to be much more deliberate and targeted about the housing solutions that are invested in around the country. 'That fund will end up investing in a range of different Māori housing solutions around the country.' He was confident it would be an effective fund for supporting iwi in post-settlement governance entities and Māori land trusts that wanted to do things in housing. 'What we are doing with the housing system is to move towards a much more granular system, more evidence-based, where we focus on the right house in the right place for the right people. 'The system at the moment is way too much one-system-fits-all.' He said he wanted the system to be more targeted to need. 'We know where the housing need is, but the system doesn't actually cater for that at the moment. We know where the regional needs are.' There was a role in working with Māori housing providers 'in the same way as there is a role for kura kaupapa, there is a role in working with Māori health providers, who did an excellent job during the Covid pandemic, for example.' Bishop's office later confirmed that $188 million in uncommitted Māori housing operating funding and $383 million capital funding were reprioritised. New housing priorities include: $200m for 400 affordable rentals to be delivered through Māori housing projects ($48m opex; $151m capex) $168m for 550 social housing places to be delivered in Auckland ($128m opex; $40m capex) $300m for 650-900 social and affordable rentals through the new Flexible fund ($41m opex; 250m capex) What's the answer to disadvantage? So, back to Seymour for the last word. What would Seymour's approach be to lifting Māori out of the state of disadvantage they find themselves in in so many social statistics? The answer is dynamism. 'First of all, it's not all Māori and not only Māori. I would say all people who are in a state of disadvantage will benefit from a more dynamic opportunity because when there is more dynamism, there is more opportunity. 'For example, if there are more homes being built, it is more likely a young person will end up owning one. 'If there are more companies being formed with more capital investment, it is more likely that someone who doesn't have a good job or opportunity right now will get one. 'If there is more innovation and more schools opening up that are engaging students in newer and better ways, it is more likely that a person who doesn't have a good opportunity to get an education will get one. 'In my view, it is dynamism. We are seeing this with whole countries. You look at South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Ireland, some of the more successful eastern European countries such as Estonia, they've gone, often in less than two generations, from a situation where essentially everyone is destitute and down on their luck and lacking opportunity…to dynamic opportunity. 'Suddenly, new companies are being built, new houses are being built, and people have recovered their self-esteem because they have taken on challenges and overcome their challenges. 'That's the only thing in my view that makes anyone feel good.'
1News
16 hours ago
- 1News
Sector leader urges overhaul as builders face mental health crisis
Warning: This article discusses suicide. A business leader says urgent reform is needed to address what he describes as a deepening mental health crisis in New Zealand's construction sector. Research shows that suicide rates in the industry are 25 percent higher than other sectors, with Māori, Pasifika, women, migrant workers, apprentices and labourers among those most at risk. According to Marti Amos (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Manu), the New Zealand-based head of a global mentoring service The Professional Builder, these statistics are worsened by a number of factors including financial instability, rising living costs, low pay, lack of mental health support and a training system focused on trade skills rather than business knowledge. "Nearly one construction worker dies by suicide every week," Amos said. ADVERTISEMENT "That should be sounding alarm bells across the country." Reports show that construction workers account for around 7 percent of working-age male suicides in Aotearoa. The estimated burden of suicide in the industry is around $1.1 billion annually. Marti Amos (Ngāpuhi) says urgent reform is needed to tackle New Zealand's construction sector mental health crisis. (Source: Amos, author of The Profitable Builders Playbook said a major contributor is that many builders are thrown into business ownership without the financial literacy, training or systems to succeed. "The construction industry has some of the highest suicide rates around the world. The key drivers - especially for company owners - is they don't understand their numbers well. "They've come from a background of being great craftsmen, doing great projects, but it's a really different skillset to becoming a great business owner." ADVERTISEMENT He said many tradies work under fixed-price contracts, where small mistakes can lead to serious financial fallout. "The average build could be anywhere from $400,000 to $500,000 to $1.5 to $2 million. If you get that wrong, you can get into financial difficulty very quickly. "You can be just one missed milestone payment away from being in serious problems." Amos said the pressure of trying to keep a team employed - without stable work ahead - is also taking a mental toll. "It goes through this: Do the work, do the work, do the work, and then they're like, 'Holy sh*t, we've only got six to eight weeks of work for my 12 guys'. "That can lead to lying awake in bed at 3am thinking, 'How do I figure this out?'" Amos said many workers are stuck on what he calls the "builders hamster wheel". ADVERTISEMENT "It's like they build themselves a prison, a business they grow to hate and that they can't get out of, 'cos you can't scale chaos and you can't scale lack of profits. 'Cos when you try and do more, everything is on your shoulders - like pricing. Where to get help. (Source: 1News) Amos believes part of the solution lies in revamping apprenticeship and trade programmes to include business and financial training. "Our people are incredible on the tools - but many aren't equipped to run a business, manage cashflow or navigate the stress that comes with it." He's calling for business training to be integrated into trade qualifications, saying current systems fall short. "Everyone gets taught how to be a great carpenter, how to do great work, but no one teaches you the fundamentals of how to build a great business. "And so just like at school, you get taught Chemistry, Maths, English, Physics, PE, but no one teaches you about budgeting, saving, communication skills, marketing, all stuff that's gonna help you massively on the outside." ADVERTISEMENT Amos believes New Zealand needs to have a look at the curriculum that apprentices are taught. "The government should be putting in some basic training through organisations or partnering with companies who can give this to every building company owner in New Zealand," he said. Amos said visibility and financial confidence are the key to relieving stress and saving lives. "Visibility leads to clarity. And when you've got clarity, you can take the right actions - that's when you start stacking wins. "When you're constantly worrying about how to pay your subcontractors or secure payroll for the next week, it isn't just your business that suffers - it's your whole life." He believes the most vulnerable workers - Māori, Pasifika, women, migrants and apprentices - need additional support at a systemic level "It is wider than just industry - it's cultural, educational. ADVERTISEMENT "It's about giving people the tools, the confidence, the learning to know: hey, it's okay to suck when you're trying new things, but you can win. You're not a tree - you don't have to stay stuck in your current circumstances." Amos said the industry needs to stop accepting crisis as normal - and act. "It's only once you go through those hard lessons - underpricing jobs, not knowing your numbers - that you learn: I need to do things differently. And if it's a skill, it can be learned. And if someone else can do it, then I can do it." Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk (Source: Ministers respond In a statement to RNZ, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk said the past few years had been tough for the construction sector and its people. ADVERTISEMENT "Building productivity has lagged for decades, but the rising cost of doing business, along with cancelled contracts from the pandemic and a tighter economy, has put real financial pressure on tradies and businesses." Penk said the government was working to create the right conditions for the sector to thrive. "Changes like reforming the building consent system might sound technical, but they will have a real human impact by lowering costs and giving the industry a more reliable pipeline of work. "We also know how much of a difference targeted mental health support can make in someone's life. "That's why, in December, the government invested in MATES in Construction through the Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund." He acknowledged that while there was "still a way to go," things would get better. "We know that when financial stress eases, it becomes easier for people to focus on their work, their families and their own health and wellbeing." ADVERTISEMENT Minister for Vocational Education Penny Simmonds (Source: In a statement to RNZ, Minister for Vocational Education Penny Simmonds said the government was "committed to ensuring that mental health and wellbeing are part of a successful apprenticeship journey for all learners". "Under the Code of Good Practice for New Zealand Apprenticeships, Tertiary Education Organisations must ensure apprentices receive appropriate pastoral care, in line with the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021. "This includes supporting apprentices with both their physical and mental health needs, their safety and wellbeing by offering information, advice, and identifying those who may need additional support." From 2026, a new independent, industry-led model for work-based learning would be rolled out. Simmonds said this model was the preferred option by both the public and industry during consultation. "It's designed to be more flexible, and responsive to the needs of both learners and the industries so critical to the growth agenda for our economy. ADVERTISEMENT "Put simply, we are transforming work-based learning by putting apprentices and trainees front and centre at the heart of the system and placing industry and employers back in the driver's seat, encouraging them to play a hands-on role in shaping training, making sure it's flexible and aligned with regional needs." The new model would involve the creation of Industry Skills Boards, which would set training standards, develop qualifications, and moderate assessments. Apprentices currently with Te Pūkenga will move to these new boards for up to two years, while new students would enroll directly with private providers, polytechnics or wānanga as they become available. Simmonds said the government was focused on "a smooth transition" with minimal disruption. "This is about building a stronger, more resilient vocational system to bring certainty, improve access, and support economic growth," she said. "We're committed to a smooth transition, with as little disruption for learners and employers as possible. This is about building a stronger, more resilient vocational system to bring certainty, improve access, and support economic growth."
Scoop
16 hours ago
- Scoop
Rally Auckland 2pm To Protest Suspension Of 38 Disability Workers
Press Release – PSA What: Disability workers protest rally When: 2pm Sunday 8 June Where: Te Roopu Taurima Head Office, 650 Great South Road, Auckland Who: Speakers include PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons Disability workers will be making their concerns loud and clear at a rally today to protest the outrageous suspension without pay of 38 workers at disability residential care provider Te Roopu Taurima. Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau Trust is the country's largest kaupapa Māori community disability provider. It operates residential whare in Te Tai Tokerau/Northland, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Waikato, Waitaha/Canterbury, and a residential mental health whare in Whangārei. The trust CE Karen Smith late on Friday afternoon gave notice of suspension of 38 workers who support people living at Te Roopu Taurima houses without pay for six weeks in response to low level strike action taken in support of their collective agreement. 'This is an oppressive over-reaction designed to intimidate and bully these workers. It's unheard of for New Zealand employers to adopt such a hostile tactic in these circumstances,' said Fleur Fitzsimons National Secretary Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. 'The strike action only involved not doing some tasks in order to try and put pressure on the employer to listen to these workers.' 'The trust has a vision to 'strive to place tāngata at the heart of our services', this shows the trust is not living its own values. 'Many of these workers are Māori, Pasifika, and migrant workers who deserve fair wages and conditions.' The action comes after Te Roopu Taurima tried to introduce harsh terms of employment including restrictions on secondary employment and 90 day trials as well as a pay increase that fails to meet the increased cost of living facing these workers and their whānau. The PSA and Te Roopu Taurima attended independent and confidential facilitation run by an Employment Relations Authority member in Auckland over four days. The Authority member then provided recommendations to settle the collective agreement. 'The PSA did not get everything we wanted but nevertheless agreed that we would recommend the outcomes to our members. Te Roopu Taurima was still not satisfied though. 'This is an insight into the future of industrial relations in New Zealand under this government. It has emboldened employers to try to take away the small number of remaining employment rights that working people have and use every underhand tactic they can to get there. 'Workers and the community must stand up and fight back.' Note The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
