PSA Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi President Benedict Ferguson has been confirmed for a further two year term at the biennial PSA Congress in Wellington.

"I’m excited to continue in this role and contribute to the important work the PSA does in improving the working lives of our members," said Ferguson following the conclusion of the Congress.

He was elected unopposed. For the past five years, Ferguson has been a full time PSA delegate at Auckland Council where he has worked for over 20 years.

"The last two years have been a time of huge change and challenge for many members, particularly those at the front line of the pandemic," he said.

"I’m proud of how we have responded as a union to protect the health of workers - and especially the vulnerable including the children, elderly, and the immune-compromised.

"These have been uncertain times, but we have done much good work in building a stronger union. Over the last two years we have gained over five thousand new members, taking our membership to 83,000.

"We're going from strength to strength as the biggest trade union in Aotearoa and I’ll be working hard over the next two years to help continue that growth.

"There are significant challenges ahead, on climate change, on closing pay gaps and in ensuring we embed the partnership principles in the Treaty of Waitangi into our everyday lives.

"The General Election next year will be a critical opportunity for the PSA to remind voters of the importance of the government funding high quality public and community services. And at a time of an unprecedented cost of living crisis, now more than ever our members must resist any attempts to roll back our rights.

"I look forward to that challenge," said Ferguson.

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