In what is believed to be a world first for a major union, PSAY - the PSA youth network - is excited to be taking an official seat with full voting rights on the union’s Executive Board from this week.

PSAY network organiser Lauren Hourigan: "This now means every level of the PSA’s governance structures, right up to and including the Executive Board has youth representation.

"This is a huge step for both youth representation and the PSA as a whole. By including PSAY on every level of our governance structure, it shows that the PSA is planning for the future, planning for how the landscape of work is changing for young people, and acknowledging that early career steps are crucial for encouraging youth leadership."

"This achievement has been ten years in the making and is the culmination of a series of efforts since the 2008 inception of PSAY," says Lauren Hourigan.

"A lot of issues in the current industrial environment have more impact on younger workers, so it’s crucial that we encourage young people to be present in our leadership structure. Young people are susceptible to ongoing issues such as precarious work, and fixed term and zero hour contracts. By having this network structure, people in the early-to-mid stages of their careers can become familiar with the PSA, get leadership training and support, and seek out future leadership opportunities within the union."

This week’s news is the result of the successful passing of a series of motions at the biennial PSA Congress held last month. A motion passed at the 2016 Congress helped pave the way by endorsing youth representation on PSA structures, with the implementation of these positions ensuring a youth perspective in pivotal decisions across the PSA.

A PSAY network strategy meeting is being held on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, the first face-to-face strategy meeting to be held since the historic milestone achieved at Congress. The meeting will also welcome 3 new PSAY convenors: Tatiana Daniels representing Auckland; Sophia Grey representing Wellington; and Malavai P-Misikei representing the North Island Provincial.

ENDS

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