IRD Bonus Blatant Misuse Of Taxpayer Money

“The Inland Revenue Department is offering a $500 bonus to each non-Union (and NUPE) staff who joins the Public Service Association before the ratification of their Collective Agreement” said Martin Cooney, Organiser of the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE).

NUPE is the smallest of three Unions representing IRD staff nationally. “The IRD has stated that there are about 2,000 non-Union staff members working in the department so the cost of this bribe could be as high as $1m.”

“The offer includes ‘$500 gross to staff who are not currently PSA members and in positions covered by the new agreement if they join PSA before the date of formal advice of ratification of the new collective agreement’,” said Martin Cooney.

“The payment would effectively mean that anyone who joins PSA would get almost two free years of Union Membership courtesy of the taxpayer.”

“The rationale for the payment is that there are ‘benefits arising from the collective participation of PSA members (through their union) in a wide range of organizational initiatives and projects throughout the term of the collective agreement’. The reality is that it is simply a good behaviour bond for the Union.”

“The IRD and PSA settled at the table on 30 April on a deal which would run for two years and the deal has now gone out to Union members for ratification. The offer however also includes an ‘employment flexibility’ clause with changes to the wording of the PSA Collective Agreement which would allow IRD to force unwilling staff members to work outside their normal work,” said Martin Cooney. “NUPE members are currently on strike over the issue.”

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