PSA calls for retention of state sector jobs
PSA MEDIA RELEASE
August 20, 2009
For Immediate
Use
PSA calls for more effort to retain state sector
jobs
The Public Service Association has no
information about 1500 public service jobs being earmarked
to go.
Today’s Dominion Post (August 20) says: “The Public Service Association estimates 1500 jobs in the core public service - most of them in Wellington - have already been earmarked to go.”
The newspaper adds: “About 500 more jobs have been signalled to be cut from the wider public sector, such as TVNZ and New Zealand Post.”
“We have not said that 1500 public service jobs are at risk or are earmarked to go,” says PSA national secretary Brenda Pilott.
“We wish to make it clear that we have no information that 1500 jobs are to be cut in the public service.”
“What we have said is that around 2000 jobs in the public sector have been cut.”
“This figure includes 500 jobs at NZ Post and 100 at TVNZ that have already been cut.”
“We know that restructuring is continuing in the public sector and that there will be further job cuts in the future.”
“But right now we have no information that a further 1500 public service jobs are earmarked to go,” says Brenda Pilott.
The PSA was pleased in May when a redeployment process was introduced to move state sector workers, whose jobs were cut, into other jobs in the state sector.
“We’re very disappointed that only two state sector workers made redundant have been moved into another job in the sector,” says Brenda Pilott.
“We’re pleased State Services Minister Tony Ryall has indicated that he’s also disappointed at the low take-up of the scheme.”
“We said when the scheme was announced that more would need to be done to retain skilled and experienced public sector workers.”
“We were concerned at the time that state sector agencies were not required to register with the scheme and that there were no incentives provided to encourage them to make use of it.”
“We’re losing too many skilled and experienced workers from the state sector and more needs to be done to retain them.”
“We’re ready to do what we can and are ready to work with the State Services Commission and the government in this area” says Brenda Pilott.
ends