Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi
Wellington City Council’s planned job cuts mean less capacity to deliver the services Wellingtonians rely on, and less spending power in a local economy already doing it tough, says the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
Wellington City Council is proposing to disestablish 144 roles, including five fixed-term positions, and create 80 new roles, a net loss of 64 jobs across four business groups: Property, Planning and Environment, Creative Capital, and Economic and Engagement.
“This is a huge upheaval, putting great stress on loyal council workers and will also impact the local economy already hit hard by the Government’s cuts to thousands of public service jobs,” said Tom Buckley, PSA Assistant Secretary Local Government.
“These are people with skills, with experience, and with families to support. They have more to give and deserve better, particularly at a time when the job market is tight.
“The plan also doesn’t make much sense with amalgamation of councils on the cards. This is precisely the wrong time to be doing a restructure like this.
“We appreciate the council needs to find savings to keep rate rises down and reduce pressure on households. But that must be balanced against the human cost, and against risk to the services Wellingtonians rely on council workers to deliver,” Buckley said.
Many affected staff have already been through previous restructures, and there was no guarantee those applying for the new roles would get one, despite the council saying existing employees will be considered first.
“All of this creates great anxiety for workers who have to keep delivering services for Wellingtonians while they go through it,” Buckley said. “The PSA is standing by and supporting everyone affected by this proposal. We will be urging the council to think again.”
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.