PSA MEDIA RELEASE
May 25, 2009
For Immediate Use

PSA joins hikoi against govt’s ‘super city’ plan

Public Service Association national secretary Richard Wagstaff and Auckland local government workers, who belong to the union, marched in today’s hikoi against the government’s ‘super city’ plan.

“We marched to highlight the government’s callous treatment of Auckland’s local government workers,” says PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff.

“Under the government’s ‘super city’ plan 6800 local government workers are in limbo waiting to hear if their jobs will be cut.”

“These are hardworking, highly skilled New Zealanders with families to support.”

“The government needs to recognise the human and social cost of laying off workers during the worst recession for more than 70 years.”

“Cutting skilled and experienced workers also puts the delivery of essential local government services to 1.4 million Aucklanders at risk,” says Richard Wagstaff.

The PSA continues to urge the government to resurrect the Royal Commission recommendation that Auckland’s local government workforce be retained during the transition to the ‘super city’ scheduled to be in place by October 31 next year.

The Royal Commission made this recommendation because it recognised the need to ensure there was “business as usual” for Aucklanders during the transition to the single Auckland council.

The government and Local Government Minister Rodney Hide rejected the recommendation just nine days after the Royal Commission report was released. They’re instructing the transition agency to rationalise staff at existing councils by October 31 next year.

“The government’s bulldozer approach to making this massive change is going to have a major human, social and financial cost,” says Richard Wagstaff.

“We marched to highlight this callous disregard for Auckland’s local government workers.”

“And to support the right of all Aucklanders to have a say in how their region is governed,” says Richard Wagstaff.

The PSA has just under 2500 members working in local government in Auckland

ENDS

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