Union merger gives local government sector a stronger voice

On 1 April 2015 the Southern Local Government Officers Union (SLGOU) and the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi (PSA) merged. Already New Zealand’s largest union, the merger brings the PSA’s membership to nearly 62,000.

National Secretary Richard Wagstaff says the merger is good news for members and the wider local government sector.

“Through the merger we have added nearly 2000 members from Canterbury and Otago who work for local government. This brings our total number of local government sector members to about 8000 – or 13 per cent of our total membership,” he says.

“The merger means we will have an even stronger voice for quality services and jobs in local government. It also gives us additional influence as we tackle the important issues affecting the sector, such as the relationship between central and local government, council amalgamations, and staffing and employment conditions.”

Past SLGOU president Paul Cottam says the merger benefits both unions’ membership.

“Our members have been actively involved in merger discussions and decision-making with the vast majority voting to proceed with the merger in December 2014 followed by two procedural votes,” he says.

“I’m really proud of what we accomplished as SLGOU and look forward to the next challenge of building a better future for all of our members.”

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