Tuesday 2 August 05
IRD Staff Face High Risk For Low Pay
“The white powder incident involving Inland Revenue Department (IRD) workers today is another demonstration that they
face high risk for low pay,” said Martin Cooney, Organiser of the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE). He was
commenting on reports that staff members had been taken to hospital as a precaution after an unidentified powder was
discovered in mail sent to IRD.
“IRD front line staff face continuing threats from irate tax payers who believe they have been put out of business by
IRD,” said Martin Cooney. “Workers are regularly threatened by the use of powder in the mail, bomb warnings and members
of the public alleging they know where they live. Staff on phones regularly hear taxpayers threatening to kill
themselves if IRD proceeds.”
“The same front line staff facing the risks are the ones who receive the lowest pay,” said Martin Cooney. “IRD workers
received from 1 April this year an average 1.89% increase in pay for the year. Inflation was 2.8% so they received (on
average) a real pay cut. In general, the averaging of pay increases worked out so that the lower a worker's pay, the
less the percentage rise that was applied by IRD.”
“Some staff are left on a wage that cannot be lived on - a returns officer for example starts on $22,452 or under $11 an
hour. Yet the revenue they raise (per hour of work by staff) is valued at around $230. The Government surplus of over
$7b arises from paying these at risk workers much less that the value they contribute.”
“NUPE calls on the Government to recognise the great job their workers do and put in the funds to urgently settle its
Collective Agreement,” said Martin Cooney.
ENDS