FSA-PSA Media Release

8 March 2012

For Immediate Use

Partners call on diplomats to jump ship

The staffing crisis facing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade deepened today when it was revealed that diplomats’ partners are encouraging them to leave the Ministry en masse.

In a letter to be presented to MFAT CEO John Allen on Monday, a group representing 180 diplomats’ partners wrote “We will be encouraging our partners, and supporting their efforts, to pursue a career beyond MFAT.”

Responding to proposals to radically change the Ministry’s structure and remuneration, the letter says:

“We have travelled and served in inhospitable and insecure environments, accepted disruption to careers and schooling, absorbed loss of income and pension, and felt the impacts of long absences from family and friends.”

“The proposed changes to career and remuneration could end up discriminating against families, providing us with little reason to continue making the personal, financial and professional contributions and sacrifices for MFAT and New Zealand’s international reputation.”

Bronwen Golder, the group’s spokesperson, said: “Diplomats’ partners and families feel insulted by the proposals. Our partners career decisions result in us resigning our jobs and taking our families away from loved ones, friends and New Zealand’s way of life to live where education, healthcare, culture and language are very different. Partners usually either aren’t able to work or aren’t allowed to when they’re abroad for New Zealand. In a recent poll of partners, 83% had not been able to find comparable employment while on posting or on return to New Zealand, as they had had when they left.

“It’s already hard to convince MFAT partners to move overseas. The proposed changes are so significant that many MFAT couples will not consider another posting for MFAT. That will represent a great loss of MFAT talent, experience and diversity. “

Warren Fraser, President of the Foreign Service Association, said: “When partners, usually highly qualified in their own right, give up their job to follow an MFAT staff member overseas it’s a decision to halve their income. What John Allen is saying in the proposals is that the sacrifices and costs that come with representing New Zealand overseas should no longer be recognised. These proposals are bad for families, and bad for New Zealand.”

PSA National Secretary Brenda Pilott said: “Partners’ concerns are further proof that the Ministry needs to rethink its proposal to cut over 300 jobs. The proposal has already raised questions about New Zealand’s and New Zealanders’ interests overseas being put at risk. Now it’s clear that it’s pushing our best and brightest to look elsewhere for jobs that better support them and their partners.”

Notes to editors

• Reaction to the proposals by partners is being co-ordinated by the “MFAT Partners Group”, made up of partners and spouses of current and former diplomats.

• Partners are meeting MFAT CEO John Allen on Monday to present him with their concerns.

• The group polled its members this week. 83 partners responded over an 8 day period to questions about their career and earning potential as partners of MFAT staff.

• 100% of respondents were, or had been, in full-time paid employment in NZ or their country of origin.

• Of these, only 1 respondent had not had to resign from their employment in order to join their partner on posting.

• Only 14 partners had been able to find comparable employment - either on posting or on return to NZ (i.e. 83% had not).

• While in Wellington, 92% of respondents confirmed their incomes make a necessary contribution to their family budget.

• 55% of partners had been in a NZ employment superannuation scheme, of which 61% had had to leave or suspend that scheme when accompanying an MFAT spouse on posting.

• 83% of partners felt they were in a worse position in terms of their current employment/career status compared to what they could have expected had they not been an MFAT partner.

• Bronwen Golder has accompanied her husband to postings in Belgium and Chile

• MFAT is proposing cuts to offshore allowances, which in many cases would result in a reduction of offshore staff remuneration of up to 50%. The Ministry is also proposing to change the way that staff are rotated, with no guarantee of a job on return to Wellington, further reducing the incentive to work abroad.

• NZ has 54 posts offshore but only 18 Dependent Employment Agreements or Arrangements with host governments that allow the partners of accredited diplomats to work in the host country..

• Of those 18 DEAs, only 5 (Brazil, Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands) specify a dependent as anything other than a married spouse or dependent child up to the age of 21. All other dependents i.e de facto opposite and same-sex partners or civil unionised partners are currently excluded from DEA arrangements.

• Even in countries where partners are permitted to work, finding it may be prevented by the language barrier, and in developing countries, low rates of pay and high unemployment.

• The Foreign Service Association (FSA) is one of two unions representing MFAT staff. It has 600 members. The PSA is the other union. The two unions are working together to represent MFAT staff and respond to MFAT proposals to drastically alter terms and conditions of employment.

• Warren Fraser is President of the FSA and a Ministry employee. He has worked for MFAT for over 17 years and has had postings in Canada, the European Union, and Australia.

• Last week, the FSA polled its members and revealed that 73% of overseas respondees were considering returning home early from their posting or resigning as a consequence of the proposals and 91% of Wellington-based respondees were either less likely to consider a future posting or were contemplating resignation.

ENDS

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