“Chester of All Trades, Master of None”

PRESS RELEASE – NATIONAL UNION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES –
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Attn: Public Sector/Justice reporters

NUPE (The National Union of Public Employees) has today expressed concern today at the Government’s announcement regarding Courts restructuring.

NUPE represents 125 members in Justice New Zealand wide and is offering support to members through this time of uncertainty.

“This is a further step in the dumbing down of front line services across New Zealand” said Mr Les Bryce, organiser for NUPE.

NUPE today expressed concern that this change in courts is part of a wider move by the Government to dumb-down front line services, striving for the lowest (and cheapest) common denominator.

“Members who spent their working careers building up specialist knowledge face a future of uncertainty with today’s reforms pointing towards an ideological move to generalisation which cannot benefit court participants, including the Judiciary,” says Mr Bryce.

NUPE is concerned at the continuation of this trend (for generalisation) which is the real driver behind these larger scale department consolidations, such as with MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries).

“Whereas previously we had dedicated departments for protecting Fisheries resources, these amalgamations and restructurings run the risk that generic “enforcement officer” positions will be created with the loss of the knowledge and specialisation built up over time”

NUPE will be working with members and other stakeholders to ensure that the knowledge built up over years is not lost into a generic based system.

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