Latest news with #FleurFitzsimons
Scoop
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Another Day, Another Attack On Workers' Rights - Employers Can Dock Pay Of Workers Who Take Partial Strike Action
The Government's anti-worker agenda has stepped up with the passing into law last night the right for employers to dock the pay of workers who take low level strike action. The Employment Relations (Pay Deductions for Partial Strikes) Amendment Bill allows employers to deduct 10% of a worker's wage for partial strike action such as not performing a task. "It's clear what the agenda is here, this Government wants to give employers even more tools and power to keep wages down and profits high," said Fleur Fitzsimons National Secretary Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. "The new law is all about weakening the position of workers when involved in collective bargaining that becomes difficult to settle. "There are already only a small range of tools available to workers when negotiations fail. "Every time the Government takes away one of those tools, or puts a price on using them, the power imbalance gets worse, and workers pay the price. "The vast majority of collective agreements are settled without industrial action as employers and working people agree on pay and conditions but when that agreement is difficult to find, there are tools that both sides can use help to find agreement. This includes mediation or facilitation ordered by the Employment Relations Authority. "If that fails, low level strike action, agreed by union members through a ballot, is a tool workers can use to make their concerns loud and clear to employers. "If the Government keeps raiding the toolkit as they are here, they actually risk opening the door to escalating strike action and longer stoppages when the only tool left is a sledgehammer. "This is another win for employers, the latest in a long series of extreme anti-worker policies - cancelling pay equity rules, axing of fair pay agreements, the 90 day fire at will law, tightening personal grievance rules, low minimum wage increases and the prospect of cutting sick pay for part-time workers now on the radar. "This government has no shame in pursuing an agenda that is blatantly all about giving more power to employers and beating down on workers - the PSA will continue to resist strongly."
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Food Quality And Safety Will Suffer If Meat Inspection Service Is Privatised As Govt Proposes
The Government wants to privatise its high-quality meat inspection service ignoring the impact it will have on food quality and safety in announcements being made to meat inspectors. The Ministry for Primary Industries is proposing to allow meat processing companies to carry out more of their own meat inspection work with reduced oversight from AsureQuality, the Government's meat inspection service. AsureQuality employs some 650 meat inspectors who carry out meat inspection on 27 million animals at 65 meat processing facilities every year. Hundreds of highly qualified and experienced AsureQuality meat inspectors could face the axe, with many forced to transfer to the private sector with lower wages and poorer conditions. "This is all about privatising a trusted and valuable service which ensures New Zealand consumers can buy safe, high-quality meat with confidence," said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. "The work of meat inspectors ensures that disease and defects in products are identified and that meat is fit for human consumption. "Independent meat inspectors are more rigorous because they have no vested interest in the end product and will not cut corners to increase company profits. Our overseas markets and consumers here at home will miss out if we lose the independence of our meat inspection services. "This is just more of the same deregulation agenda we are seeing across health and other parts of the public service. "History tells us who wins from deregulation, business. This proposal is all about boosting the profits of meat companies while dismantling a proven, efficient and independent government owned service that keeps New Zealanders safe from diseased and contaminated meat. "Meat inspectors also play a critical role in underpinning New Zealand's global reputation for excellence in all we export. "Why put all that at risk? "The Government's priorities are again clear - it scrapped pay equity, making underpaid women pay for tax cuts for business in the Budget and it's doing the same here, forcing meat inspectors to take a cut in wages to boost the bottom line of meat companies. "This government has no shame in its reckless pursuit of ideology over the consequences for New Zealanders as we again fail to learn the lessons from the past." Note The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Another 46 Jobs To Go At DIA With A Further 14 Under Threat
The Department of Internal Affairs has told staff today that it is axing another 46 jobs, which the PSA says which will ramp up workload on remaining staff and put New Zealanders at risk. The changes confirmed to staff at briefings today will see many roles merged, such as the Manager Digital Violent Extremism being merged with a Manager Digital Messaging and Systems, says Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons. "Expecting one manager to do the work of two, especially at a time when the risk of violent extremism is escalating, is dangerous and makes no sense," Fitzsimons says. The changes will also see Personal Assistants become responsible for two General Managers instead of one. "Reducing Personal Assistants is a false economy that will see senior managers spending more time doing administrative work, rather than the work they were employed to do. At the same time, it increases the likelihood of the Personal Assistants facing burn out from unreasonably increased workloads. "Personal Assistants do the type of vital support role performed predominantly by women that are dismissed by the Government but are the glue that hold organisations together," Fitzsimons says. The changes follow proposals put forward for consultation in March, which aimed to save approximately $8 million a year to meet Government savings targets. They followed a wave of restructuring last year which saw, among many changes, the loss of key staff keeping children safe from online harm, and those stopping scams and international crime syndicates engaging in money laundering. As well as the 46 roles confirmed to today, another 69 fixed term roles were not renewed and the DIA is reconsulting on changes that may see another net reduction of 14 roles.
Scoop
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Betrayal Of Women Over Pay Equity Laid Bare In Budget Poll - Time To Reverse Decision
A Budget poll lays bare how deeply unpopular the Government's decision to scrap pay equity rules under urgency has become. The Post/Freshwater Strategy Poll today shows many New Zealanders oppose the Government axing pay equity claims and making it harder to push for new claims - nearly four out of ten opposed the decision and just over four out of ten said the move damaged their confidence in the Government's commitment to gender equality. "The Government decided to scrap pay equity for women to pay for tax cuts for business in this year's budget - New Zealanders are seeing that plain and simple and they don't like it," said Fleur Fitzsimons National Secretary Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. "This was wage theft and no amount of spin by the Government has convinced many New Zealanders who see the move done under urgency for what is - a betrayal that impacts wives, mothers, daughters and their families. "It was morally wrong to cancel women's claims for pay equity without telling New Zealanders during the election or even in government, and without a democratic select committee process, but it's not too late for the Government to do the right thing by women. "This outrageous decision will keep damaging the Government - the PSA calls on the Government to settle the 33 claims it scrapped and restore the pay equity process. "That will help over 150,000 women get the wage increase they need and deserve and many New Zealanders clearly agree. "Pay equity is also critical to help many deal with the cost of living which still worries New Zealanders. The poll shows a majority don't think the Budget will help reduce pressures on the household budget from rising prices. "What's more nearly two thirds worry the Government's spending cuts will damage the public services they rely on. This is what the PSA warned all along. "The poll should be a wake-up call. New Zealanders are clearly telling the Government it is taking the country in the wrong direction, and is failing women and households. Restoring pay equity and public services would be a start." Notes The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
Scoop
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
All Workers Will Now Be Able To Be Fired At Will - The Govt Has No Shame
All workers will be in the firing line for instant dismissal regardless of circumstances under a law change now before Parliament. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brook van Velden has introduced the Employment Relations Amendment Bill which will make it harder for workers to bring personal grievance claims. "This is plainly and simply a fundamental erosion of workers' rights to secure employment - the Minister is effectively giving employers the green light to fire workers at will," said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. "It will be virtually impossible for a worker to bring a successful personal grievance if unfairly sacked. This is a radical change for every workplace in New Zealand, again exposing the Government's priority to make life easier for employers, harder for workers. "If a worker is dismissed unjustifiably, the only remedy is through a personal grievance. There is no problem here the Government is trying to solve. The current remedies are already very limited with reinstatement only being ordered in 16 cases at the Employment Relations Authority in 2024 according to their Annual Report. "But now the Bill will make it easier for employers to find a way to undermine any personal grievance claim by establishing some conduct by the worker that contributed to a dismissal. "Under the Bill, an employer will be able to amplify any conduct by the workers - it won't be hard for some justification to be found to defend against the claim. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading "This is all about weakening any claim and discouraging a worker from bringing a claim in the first place. That will mean workers will find it much harder to be reinstated which is ultimately what most workers want or get compensation for hurt and humiliation. "The Minister trumpeted the changes as all about 'labour market flexibility'. We heard the same thing in 1991 with the Employment Contracts Act which the Government then promised would increase productivity. That didn't happen, it just stripped workers of rights and emboldened employers. "We are seeing the same playbook now with planned cuts to sick pay, pay equity, the 90-day fire at will law, weakening health and safety requirements for employers and the axing of Fair Pay Agreements. "That all amounts to less secure employment, lower wages and more dangerous workplaces. "The Government has no shame and workers across New Zealand will pay the price for that for years to come."
