The PSA will continue to strongly promote investment in strong public and community services, and oppose cuts to the jobs of those who deliver them that may result from the coalition agreement announced today.
In particular, we will be taking a strong stand against the incoming coalition’s plan to reduce the number of public sector workers, in some areas back to 2017 levels, based on a simplistic idea that there is a frontline and a back office.
We will oppose the repeal of Fair Pay Agreements and the health and safety provisions that came of the Pike River tragedy. We will also oppose the introduction of oppressive 90-day Trials.
Aotearoa New Zealand’s growing population, which has increased by more than 480,000 since 2017, and the complex climate change and societal changes we face mean that now is not the time to be cutting public services.
Funding tax cuts that will only be meaningful to a small percentage of the population is not a valid reason to put at risk the important work that public and community service workers do for all New Zealanders.
This work includes providing services all New Zealanders rely on, such as keeping us safe and healthy, protecting our precious native forests and birds, keeping our primary sector safe from bio security threats, dealing with our climate crisis, and recovering from storms and other natural disasters.
Defending every job
We will harness the collective strength of our more than 90,000 members to defend the value of the strong public and community services New Zealanders, and the jobs of those who deliver them.
In line with our value of Solidarity – Kotahitanga – we will defend every job. And we will continue to advocate strongly for the well-established and hard-fought-for employment obligations that we expect the new government to honour.
Upholding Ngā Kaupapa
The strength of Te Rūnanga o Ngā Toā Āwhina – which represents more than 10,000 members who identify as Māori – provides us with a strong platform to firmly oppose any attack on the standing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Successive governments have worked hard to improve the Māori-Crown relationship. The PSA will advocate to keep maintaining momentum towards a strong bicultural partnership. We will strongly argue for retaining the current approach of providing evidence-based services that meet the needs of Māori, including keeping Te Aka Whai Ora (Māori Health Authority).
We will continue to champion the voice of Māori being heard in decision making and oppose attempts to roll back the use of te reo Māori in the public service.
The PSA clearly had not canvassed members concerning its war cry. It's almost certain that many PSA members voted against the Labour government and in favour of the policies responsibly announced prior to the election by the winning parties. It's even likely that PSA members' voting proportions were in a similar direction to, if not exactly alike, the voting pattern of the general population. However, PSA bosses are so sure of their moral superiority that they have no interest in ensuring they represent a majority of members paying their salaries.
The PSA's representation of its plans was manipulative and also false in several respects. For example, the claim that planned reductions in public servants were 'based on a simplistic idea that there is a frontline and a back office' ignored other justifications such as the range of woke programs that the Ardern government initiated and funded without majority public support. The suggestion that the new government plans to remove safety provisions resulting from Pike River is scaremongering for which there appears to be no basis in fact. Much of the 'important work that public and community service workers do for all New Zealanders' is actually done for only selected New Zealanders of approved identity. That work will certainly not 'deal with our climate crisis', an unrealistic idea for a world-wide issue the solution to which is uncertain. 'Te Rūnanga o Ngā Toā Āwhina' may well be a PSA wing set up to promote Maori interests (isn't that racism?) but it's unclear how many of the 10,000 members who identify as Maori would agree they are represented by that wing.
The PSA bosses are serving their ideology more than the majority wishes of their members. Oh, and they are serving their own empire, given that any reduction in state employee numbers will reduce the monthly union fees they collect.
Successive governments have worked hard to improve the Māori-Crown relationship. The PSA will advocate to keep maintaining momentum towards a strong bicultural partnership. We will strongly argue for retaining the current approach of providing evidence-based services that meet the needs of Māori, including keeping Te Aka Whai Ora (Māori Health Authority).
We will continue to champion the voice of Māori being heard in decision making and oppose attempts to roll back the use of te reo Māori in the public service.
The PSA clearly had not canvassed members concerning its war cry. It's almost certain that many PSA members voted against the Labour government and in favour of the policies responsibly announced prior to the election by the winning parties. It's even likely that PSA members' voting proportions were in a similar direction to, if not exactly alike, the voting pattern of the general population. However, PSA bosses are so sure of their moral superiority that they have no interest in ensuring they represent a majority of members paying their salaries.
The PSA's representation of its plans was manipulative and also false in several respects. For example, the claim that planned reductions in public servants were 'based on a simplistic idea that there is a frontline and a back office' ignored other justifications such as the range of woke programs that the Ardern government initiated and funded without majority public support. The suggestion that the new government plans to remove safety provisions resulting from Pike River is scaremongering for which there appears to be no basis in fact. Much of the 'important work that public and community service workers do for all New Zealanders' is actually done for only selected New Zealanders of approved identity. That work will certainly not 'deal with our climate crisis', an unrealistic idea for a world-wide issue the solution to which is uncertain. 'Te Rūnanga o Ngā Toā Āwhina' may well be a PSA wing set up to promote Maori interests (isn't that racism?) but it's unclear how many of the 10,000 members who identify as Maori would agree they are represented by that wing.
The PSA bosses are serving their ideology more than the majority wishes of their members. Oh, and they are serving their own empire, given that any reduction in state employee numbers will reduce the monthly union fees they collect.
A.E. Thompson is a working, tax-paying New Zealander who speaks up about threats to our hard-fought rights, liberties, egalitarian values, rational thinking and fair treatment by the state.
7 comments:
I would say that there are some PSA bosses skating on very thin ice.
The voters elect the government on the manifestos of the parties and the views of the PSA are completely irrelevant, as no doubt are the people responsible for the email.
Expect massive and constant opposition, attempts to derail policies, social disruption etc etc for the next 3 years - and beyond.
Very sore losers....... of course, He Puapua has been stopped in its tracks - for now!
The Public Service seems to imagine itself a sacred cow, to be worshiped as it grows fat and spoilt. Based on its performance over the past 6 years and its massive decline in productivity and meaningful outcomes, despite a 30-40% increase in staff numbers, it would have gone bust in the private sector.
These Wellington mandarins need to be brought to heel and realise that their political masters and the PUBLIC call the tune, not them. If they want to go on strike that's the perfect smokescreen to sack them and, if necessary, appoint the Right people to the jobs.
All that blather about climate change sums it up perfectly. Please tell me what the PS has done to affect climate change, other than increase carbon emissions with all the extra staff sitting in traffic jams on their way to/from work in central Wellington. Luckily for them, CO2 has such a minimal effect on the Earth's temperature that they needn't worry about it. But let's not tell them that!
Public Service ie of service to the public? Or Press Sycophants ie taking instructions from the PJIF affected media?
Yes, right on! And despite the profligate growth in their numbers and the big salaries many of them get paid (NB. not earn), what about the excessive number of consultants they employ, because they haven't the capability themselves or they don't have the kahunas to take on the responsibility their salaries would suggest they should have?
And DeeM, there are also all those swanning around in the Koru lounges, waiting for fossil fuel burners to fly them to climate conferences and Departmental meetings they could just as easily Zoom or MS Teams at a fraction of the cost.
What a load of twaddle from the PSA.
the last 6 years has demonstrated that the govt ie the public service is incapable of doing anything properly except deliver on ideology.
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