15 March 2013
Frustrated NZQA staff to walk off the job

Staff at the New Zealand Qualifications Authority are due to walk off the job later today over NZQA’s refusal to negotiate fairly in on-going pay talks.

The Public Service Association, which represents over 230 staff, has been in collective agreement negotiations with NZQA since late last year.

NZQA made an offer on the 4th February which was soundly rejected by PSA members.

“Since then it has refused to make a single concession at the negotiating table while the PSA has been prepared to move on a number of issues,” says PSA National Secretary Richard Wagstaff.

“Staff simply want the right to negotiate pay as part of their collective agreement yet NZQA is denying them that by adopting an entrenched approach to the bargaining process.”

“Negotiating pay is a fundamental part of bargaining and it is astounding that NZQA seems to think it can ignore that by saying it is not prepared to talk about it,” he says.

Another key sticking point is around the current pay system which is outdated and complex.

Richard Wagstaff says “PSA members are advocating a simpler pay system which will deliver a reasonable pay increase to everyone’s base salary.”

“It’s unusual to see government workers walking off the job but it is a sign of the frustration NZQA staff are feeling about NZQA’s position and its lack of willingness to negotiate fairly.”

Staff will be walking off the job at 2pm for the day.

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