Latest news with #PayEquityAct
NZ Herald
14-07-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Letters: Minister's power statement shouldn't be taken seriously
Climate catastrophes It is heartbreaking to read about the catastrophic floods in Texas, and the lesser but still traumatic events in our Nelson area. We all need to accept some responsibility here; we know these weather events are worsening due to the burning of fossil fuels. New Zealand's emissions are a drop in the ocean, but on a per capita basis, we are up there with the big emitters. We can each make a little difference: leave the car at home, take the bus or bike. Fly less (holiday at home) and Zoom call the overseas grandchildren. We can't save the world but we can face the future with a slightly clearer conscience. Linda McGrogan, Taupō. Seymour's idea of equality Does David Seymour ever consider the possibility that he may be wrong? Intellectual honesty would demand he do so. He'd listen to objections, think about them, and be able to respond to them. But he doesn't seem to do any of that. After falling back on his definition of equality as if it's the only one possible, his only response to objections is to find ways to disqualify the objectors from having opinions. Their objections don't count because they're religious / they're academics / they're not New Zealanders / they think their ethnicity is important. Seymour says he's all about 'equality', but his idea of equality is very shallow, focused solely on individuals, ignoring things like social connectivity, and achieving 'equality' by the ham-fisted dismissal of everything that distinguishes one person from another as irrelevant. Different social background? Irrelevant. Different upbringing? Irrelevant. Different opportunities? Irrelevant. Morgan L. Owens, Manurewa. Erosion of accountability The Weekend Herald article on Sue Wood (July 12) highlights the steady erosion of democratic accountability in Parliament. The passage of the Pay Equity Act is only the latest version of the growth of the use of urgency by both parties to ensure the passage of unscrutinised legislation. It reminds all voters that the situation will not change - that's why we need three-year parliaments so we can throw the rogues out in due course! Nick Hamilton, Remuera. Survivor's inspiring story The article (July 12) about the 2005 UK bombing survivor, Martine Wright MBE, and her rescuer, Liz Kenworthy, is one of the most inspirational stories that I think I have ever read. What Martine has done to strengthen her attitude and outlook is awe-inspiring. The photo of her, accompanying the article, says it all. Forging ahead with life, creating new and seemingly impossible goals, only to smash them out of the park, deserves every single accolade that she has received. Find this article, copy it, keep it and then make your miserable, whinging teen read it next time they are snivelling about some first-world problem. Gavin Sheehan, Long Bay. Go easy on Ardern Completely agree with Fran O'Sullivan (July 12) that the witch hunt against Jacinda Ardern over our Covid response is sickening. One letter writer even suggested that it would be safer for her to stay away during the inquiry. But New Zealand's response was excellent, with 5700 deaths, compared to the chaos we saw in the United States and the United Kingdom among other countries. Yes, in hindsight, it is easy to judge that lockdowns in the later stages were too long. Time indeed to move on and remember Ardern always reminding us to be kind - an emotion missing in our ever-competitive and divided world. Stephen Lincoln, Botany Downs. But what about the damage? Fran O'Sullivan's impassioned appeal for us to lay off Jacinda Ardern is asking a bit much when you consider the huge damage financially and socially she did to New Zealand. The damage will be felt well into the future. What hurts the most is that she ran away rather than stand and face the music. Will she ever be brave enough to return to New Zealand ? Jock Mac Vicar, Hauraki. Ghahraman should be left alone It has been suggested that Golriz Ghahraman should seek help from someone she can trust, to advise her about unruly behaviour and 'drama'. I suggest that the only help she needs is to be left alone to get on with life. I can't decide whether Golriz's behaviour was unacceptable or not. I wasn't there. I doubt many of those who would criticise her were either. Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
Scoop
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Community Corrections Staff Gearing Up For Industrial Action
Press Release – PSA 'We will be looking to take industrial action if we do not get an improved offer from Corrections, and the mediation, set down for Wednesday 4 June, fails,' says Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pkenga … Community Corrections staff – who manage the 26,000 people the Department of Corrections is responsible for outside of prisons – are gearing up to take industrial action. Community Corrections staff – including Probation Officers and Electronic Monitoring staff – are frustrated with low pay and ballooning workloads further fuelled by anger over the Government's rushed changes to the Pay Equity Act, says Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. 'We will be looking to take industrial action if we do not get an improved offer from Corrections, and the mediation, set down for Wednesday 4 June, fails,' Fitzsimons says. Community Corrections staff are 68% female, which falls just agonisingly short of the Government's new threshold requiring a workforce to be made up of 70% women to take a pay equity claim. 'Up until the recent reversal, Probation Officers were subject to a five-year long pay equity claim, they were found to be significantly undervalued and their claim was before the Employment Relations Authority to be settled, Fitzsimons says. 'With the ability to raise a pay equity claim cynically extinguished by the Government, underpaid Community Corrections workers will be expecting to see a significantly improved offer from Corrections,' Fitzsimons says. Community Corrections workers include probation officers, programme facilitators, electronic monitoring staff, community work supervisors, bail support officers, administration staff, and many others. On any given day, Community Corrections staff work with 70% of the people Correction is responsible for, about 26,000 people living in the community. These people include those: who have been released from prison; who are serving Community-based sentences; who are electronically monitored; and who are on electronic bail. PSA union Community Corrections members have been negotiating with Corrections since December and have been offered increases of around 1%, further embedding their low pay, Fitzsimons says. The PSA is balloting members on taking three escalating actions – a complete withdrawal of labour for two, then four then eight hours. An indicative poll of Delegates showed unanimous support for industrial action.
Scoop
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Community Corrections Staff Gearing Up For Industrial Action
Press Release – PSA 'We will be looking to take industrial action if we do not get an improved offer from Corrections, and the mediation, set down for Wednesday 4 June, fails,' says Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pkenga … Community Corrections staff – who manage the 26,000 people the Department of Corrections is responsible for outside of prisons – are gearing up to take industrial action. Community Corrections staff – including Probation Officers and Electronic Monitoring staff – are frustrated with low pay and ballooning workloads further fuelled by anger over the Government's rushed changes to the Pay Equity Act, says Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. 'We will be looking to take industrial action if we do not get an improved offer from Corrections, and the mediation, set down for Wednesday 4 June, fails,' Fitzsimons says. Community Corrections staff are 68% female, which falls just agonisingly short of the Government's new threshold requiring a workforce to be made up of 70% women to take a pay equity claim. 'Up until the recent reversal, Probation Officers were subject to a five-year long pay equity claim, they were found to be significantly undervalued and their claim was before the Employment Relations Authority to be settled, Fitzsimons says. 'With the ability to raise a pay equity claim cynically extinguished by the Government, underpaid Community Corrections workers will be expecting to see a significantly improved offer from Corrections,' Fitzsimons says. Community Corrections workers include probation officers, programme facilitators, electronic monitoring staff, community work supervisors, bail support officers, administration staff, and many others. On any given day, Community Corrections staff work with 70% of the people Correction is responsible for, about 26,000 people living in the community. These people include those: who have been released from prison; who are serving Community-based sentences; who are electronically monitored; and who are on electronic bail. PSA union Community Corrections members have been negotiating with Corrections since December and have been offered increases of around 1%, further embedding their low pay, Fitzsimons says. The PSA is balloting members on taking three escalating actions – a complete withdrawal of labour for two, then four then eight hours. An indicative poll of Delegates showed unanimous support for industrial action.
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Community Corrections Staff Gearing Up For Industrial Action
Community Corrections staff - who manage the 26,000 people the Department of Corrections is responsible for outside of prisons - are gearing up to take industrial action. Community Corrections staff - including Probation Officers and Electronic Monitoring staff - are frustrated with low pay and ballooning workloads further fuelled by anger over the Government's rushed changes to the Pay Equity Act, says Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. "We will be looking to take industrial action if we do not get an improved offer from Corrections, and the mediation, set down for Wednesday 4 June, fails," Fitzsimons says. Community Corrections staff are 68% female, which falls just agonisingly short of the Government's new threshold requiring a workforce to be made up of 70% women to take a pay equity claim. "Up until the recent reversal, Probation Officers were subject to a five-year long pay equity claim, they were found to be significantly undervalued and their claim was before the Employment Relations Authority to be settled, Fitzsimons says. "With the ability to raise a pay equity claim cynically extinguished by the Government, underpaid Community Corrections workers will be expecting to see a significantly improved offer from Corrections," Fitzsimons says. Community Corrections workers include probation officers, programme facilitators, electronic monitoring staff, community work supervisors, bail support officers, administration staff, and many others. On any given day, Community Corrections staff work with 70% of the people Correction is responsible for, about 26,000 people living in the community. These people include those: who have been released from prison; who are serving Community-based sentences; who are electronically monitored; and who are on electronic bail. PSA union Community Corrections members have been negotiating with Corrections since December and have been offered increases of around 1%, further embedding their low pay, Fitzsimons says. The PSA is balloting members on taking three escalating actions - a complete withdrawal of labour for two, then four then eight hours. An indicative poll of Delegates showed unanimous support for industrial action.
Scoop
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
PSA Supports Peoples' Select Committee On Undemocratic Pay Equity Changes
The PSA welcomes the launch today of a People's select committee to hear the views of women, pay equity experts and other New Zealanders on the Government's rushed changes to the Pay Equity Act. The legislation, which has slammed the brakes on pay equity claims for more than 150,000 underpaid, mainly female workers of was never signaled during the election campaign and rushed through the House under urgency without a select committee process. "The people whose livelihoods were seriously impacted by this undemocratic legislation should have had a chance to have their say, National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says. "We call on the Government to do what's fair - repeal the law and let women, unions, employers and pay equity experts have their say in a proper select committee process. We want to be heard so that New Zealand women have a pay equity system that works. This is how a democracy is supposed to operate," Fitzsimons says. "We thank and acknowledge Former National MP Marilyn Waring and the other former MPs who will serve on the Select Committee. However, in a properly functioning democracy the Government Ministers responsible should have done what they are paid to do and set up a proper select committee process." "Women, unions and employers have spent hours and thousands of dollars working on the detailed hard graft of pay equity claims, and this work should be recognised by having their say in a proper select committee process. "The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi PSA will support the work of the committee and be making a submission and that we will seek repeal of the 2025 amendments and instead a focus on speeding up settlements under the Act. "The changes to the Act are a betrayal of the principles of equality we assumed were now settled and it was just gutting when the betrayal became real on budget day. The changes were shocking and hurtful."
