PSA MEDIA RELEASE
May 28, 2009
For Immediate Use
Budget 09 will lead to more public sector jobs being axed

“The Budget continues the government’s rolling maul of restructuring and job cuts in the public sector,” says Public Service Association national secretary Brenda Pilott.

“We estimate that the government’s budget reviews in the public sector have already led to around 1470 jobs being cut.”

“We’re expecting more jobs to be cut despite the Minister of Finance saying the government was particularly concerned about the need to create new jobs.

“Clearly the commitment to keeping New Zealanders in work does not extend to public sector workers.”

“Bill English says we need to lift public sector productivity and then imposes a regime of budget reviews and restructuring on public sector workers whose workload is rising because of job cuts.”

“The only people who will benefit from this are high paid private sector consultants.”

“This is a recipe for reducing public sector productivity not increasing it.”

“Bill English also talks of the public sector having to adapt to tighter budgets and smaller or no increases in the future.”

“This is despite the recession pushing up demand for public services as the recession pushes up unemployment.”

“There are 37,000 people on the dole. The government expects this to more than double to 80,000 by early next year and yet the government is cutting public sector workers who support the jobless.”

“This is a ‘blank Budget’ that fails to provide a vision of how we can revive and retool our economy.”

“Instead it threatens to prolong the recession by cutting public service budgets and putting more public service staff out of work.”

“The Department of Conservation is a case in point. The Budget cuts funding to DOC by $54 million over the next four years,” says Brenda Pilott.

DOC runs our 14 National Parks which are a magnet to overseas tourists. Last year 2.4 million overseas visitors came to New Zealand and 30% - 735,000 – visited at least one National Park. They spent $8.8 billion during their stay.

“The National Parks run by DOC are at the heart of our tourism industry which generates one in 10 jobs in New Zealand and earns the country billions of dollars. Yet the government has cut DOC’s funding,” says Brenda Pilott.

ENDS

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