Landmark Auckland Council, PSA agreement inked
Media release
23 April 2013
Landmark Auckland Council, PSA agreement inked
The Public Service Association and Auckland Council last week accepted a new collective agreement for council employees, which builds on the collaborative approach the two groups have established in working together.
Valid for the next 2½ years, the agreement covers wages, benefits and working conditions for Public Service Association (PSA). It is the result of recent negotiations between the council and the PSA, which represents the 50 per cent of council employees who are eligible to be a member of the union.
It also cements the relationship between the PSA and the council established in November last year, which commits both groups to work together to achieve a common goal of a high performance, high engagement, and high trust environment.
“This agreement is critical to building the right culture at Auckland Council, where our working environment and employment conditions promote trust and active engagement,” said Doug McKay, Auckland Council’s Chief Executive. “Negotiations took a shorter time to complete, which is a credit to the PSA’s leadership and the fresh approach both parties brought to the table.”
It is only the second collective agreement between the two groups, with the first agreed in the period leading up to amalgamation in November 2010. This time, the PSA and the council took a different approach to negotiations.
“Both parties came to the table with the assumption that the council and the PSA hold a shared interest – both want employees to perform at their best, to be rewarded for their efforts, and to feel engaged and satisfied in their role,” said Richard Wagstaff, PSA National Secretary. “It also recognises that there are different interests that must be discussed and then resolved. Making the agreement work will be a challenge, but a highly worthwhile one to work towards.”
The agreement was on a wide variety of topics, from hours of work and sick leave, to transport and resolving employment relations problems.
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