Latest news with #PublicServiceAssociationTePūkengaHereTikangaMahi
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Privatising Road User Charges Risks Higher Costs For Drivers
The Government's plan to privatise the collection of Road User Charges, at the same time as moving all vehicles on to the system, risks adding to the cost of living for New Zealanders, the PSA says. Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi says "it is concerning that the Government is moving to privatise a key government role - revenue collection - without presenting a clear, evidenced justification. "Administration fees on Road User Charges are already low, about 1% of the revenue collected, and do not make a profit for NZTA. Putting RUC in the hands of private companies, who will need to make a profit on the transactions, is a recipe for higher fees for drivers." "Ramping up driving costs at a time when the Government is failing to control inflation makes no sense. This is another example of the Government's reckless focus on privatising provision of public services, even if it increases costs to New Zealanders. "As we have seen time and again, privatisation means less accountability to the public and Parliament. It will result in less public control over how much drivers are charged. "Privatisation is a problem masquerading as a solution. The only people who will see any benefit from this scheme are the corporates who take their cut to gather the tax," says Fitzsimons.
Scoop
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
New Low From Govt In Public Service Act Changes Aimed At Ending Long Term Planning, Diversity & Inclusion & Pay Equity
The Government's proposed changes to the Public Service Act, to be debated in Parliament today, aim to strip away key provisions that ensure fairness, equality and long-term planning in the public sector. Under the proposed amendments, detailed in the Public Service Amendment Bill, diversity and inclusion, pay equity and long-term planning would be downgraded. "This is a new low from the Government. It now wants to tell chief executives of Government departments that they are not to focus on the long-term public interest, this is reckless given that the complex problems New Zealand's facing need long term policy solutions," said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. "This approach will limit New Zealand's ability to solve complicated problems like climate change adaptation, family violence and our infrastructure deficit." The Public Service Amendment Bill also scraps requirements on pay equity. It would remove responsibilities for chief executives and the Public Service Commissioner to work towards pay equity between women and men, and to work towards eliminating bias and discrimination in decisions about pay. "Pay equity is about fairness and justice for workers and includes ensuring flexible and part time work is available. The Government has already ripped up pay equity claims, denying pay increases for more than150,000 women in the public and community sectors. Taking away its priority in this legislation again shows how little the Government values supporting the career of women and closing the gender pay gap." The Bill would also remove requirements on chief executives and the Public Service Commissioner to foster a public service that's inclusive and representative of the communities it serves. "Diversity and inclusion in our workforce are not nice to haves - they are essential to delivering fair and effective public services that are sensitive to the needs of all New Zealanders. The public service does its job well and is legitimate because it represents our diverse country. Reducing the importance of these principles risks turning back decades of progress." The PSA is also alarmed by amendments to the purpose of the Public Service Act which would reduce emphasis on pursuing the long-term public interest, and remove the requirement of the public service to enable both the current Government and successive governments to develop and implement their policies. "This is a worrying attack on the political neutrality of the public service and makes it less accountable to the people of New Zealand. Public services must look beyond the next political cycle. Downgrading the public service's role in pursuing the long-term public interest means less focus on how our public service can meet future challenges - whether that's dealing with an ageing population, infrastructure challenges, adapting to new technology, or responding to climate change. "The Government has stripped the public service of thousands of jobs despite our population growing, and our challenges becoming more complex and urgent. "The Bill was tabled on the same day the Government extended a tax break for big tobacco, showing how misplaced its priorities are. "This is a time to invest in a fairer, more future-focused public service - not tear down the progress we've made. It's 2025, not 1955." Note
Scoop
10-07-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Mental Health Worker Numbers Don't Tell Full Story Of Service Under Stress And Strain
The Government's trumpeting of a rise in numbers of mental health and addiction service workers contrasts the everyday experiences of PSA members at the frontline. The Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey today said Health NZ payroll data showed total full-time staff employed in mental health growing by more than 9 per cent year on year between Quarter 3 in 2023 and Quarter 1 2025. But PSA members tell a different story. "Any increase in numbers is long overdue but this only scratches the surface and vacancies and roster shortages remain. With demand for services growing, partly due to a rise in drug use, we need far more mental health workers," said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. "The Minster's own officials are also telling him something else." In May 3 News obtained a draft report showing the scale of the workforce crisis, but the official report to the Minister removed the numbers. The draft report said 1,485 more frontline mental health and addiction workers were needed right now, including 470 specialist nurses, 145 psychiatrists and 145 clinical psychologists. "Conditions and pay must improve or more workers will face assaults, burn-out and depart for Australia where pay and resources are far better. "Our members tell alarming stories of the pressure they are under including: - Long delays filling vacancies, sometimes more than a year - Constant threats to safety from patients at EDs and in patient clinics - Concerns falling on deaf ears of managers The Government is also relying on data that is more than a year out of date to trumpet a minor fall in the vacancy rate from 11% to 10%. "These problems have been exacerbated by the phased police withdrawal of support, which is happening without an increase in resources at the frontline. This needs to be paused immediately. "The Minister needs to take his rose-tinted glasses off and properly invest in this critically important health service. New Zealanders deserve better." Notes: The PSA represents mental health workers including mental health nurses, community mental health workers, psychologists, social workers, and child and adolescent specialists. 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.
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Food Quality And Safety Will Suffer If Meat Inspection Service Is Privatised As Govt Proposes
The Government wants to privatise its high-quality meat inspection service ignoring the impact it will have on food quality and safety in announcements being made to meat inspectors. The Ministry for Primary Industries is proposing to allow meat processing companies to carry out more of their own meat inspection work with reduced oversight from AsureQuality, the Government's meat inspection service. AsureQuality employs some 650 meat inspectors who carry out meat inspection on 27 million animals at 65 meat processing facilities every year. Hundreds of highly qualified and experienced AsureQuality meat inspectors could face the axe, with many forced to transfer to the private sector with lower wages and poorer conditions. "This is all about privatising a trusted and valuable service which ensures New Zealand consumers can buy safe, high-quality meat with confidence," said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. "The work of meat inspectors ensures that disease and defects in products are identified and that meat is fit for human consumption. "Independent meat inspectors are more rigorous because they have no vested interest in the end product and will not cut corners to increase company profits. Our overseas markets and consumers here at home will miss out if we lose the independence of our meat inspection services. "This is just more of the same deregulation agenda we are seeing across health and other parts of the public service. "History tells us who wins from deregulation, business. This proposal is all about boosting the profits of meat companies while dismantling a proven, efficient and independent government owned service that keeps New Zealanders safe from diseased and contaminated meat. "Meat inspectors also play a critical role in underpinning New Zealand's global reputation for excellence in all we export. "Why put all that at risk? "The Government's priorities are again clear - it scrapped pay equity, making underpaid women pay for tax cuts for business in the Budget and it's doing the same here, forcing meat inspectors to take a cut in wages to boost the bottom line of meat companies. "This government has no shame in its reckless pursuit of ideology over the consequences for New Zealanders as we again fail to learn the lessons from the past." 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.
Scoop
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
All Workers Will Now Be Able To Be Fired At Will - The Govt Has No Shame
All workers will be in the firing line for instant dismissal regardless of circumstances under a law change now before Parliament. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brook van Velden has introduced the Employment Relations Amendment Bill which will make it harder for workers to bring personal grievance claims. "This is plainly and simply a fundamental erosion of workers' rights to secure employment - the Minister is effectively giving employers the green light to fire workers at will," said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. "It will be virtually impossible for a worker to bring a successful personal grievance if unfairly sacked. This is a radical change for every workplace in New Zealand, again exposing the Government's priority to make life easier for employers, harder for workers. "If a worker is dismissed unjustifiably, the only remedy is through a personal grievance. There is no problem here the Government is trying to solve. The current remedies are already very limited with reinstatement only being ordered in 16 cases at the Employment Relations Authority in 2024 according to their Annual Report. "But now the Bill will make it easier for employers to find a way to undermine any personal grievance claim by establishing some conduct by the worker that contributed to a dismissal. "Under the Bill, an employer will be able to amplify any conduct by the workers - it won't be hard for some justification to be found to defend against the claim. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading "This is all about weakening any claim and discouraging a worker from bringing a claim in the first place. That will mean workers will find it much harder to be reinstated which is ultimately what most workers want or get compensation for hurt and humiliation. "The Minister trumpeted the changes as all about 'labour market flexibility'. We heard the same thing in 1991 with the Employment Contracts Act which the Government then promised would increase productivity. That didn't happen, it just stripped workers of rights and emboldened employers. "We are seeing the same playbook now with planned cuts to sick pay, pay equity, the 90-day fire at will law, weakening health and safety requirements for employers and the axing of Fair Pay Agreements. "That all amounts to less secure employment, lower wages and more dangerous workplaces. "The Government has no shame and workers across New Zealand will pay the price for that for years to come."
