It was fitting Labour Minister Margaret Wilson chose Manakau City Council as the venue for her breakfast address on the morning the country’s new Employment Relations Act came into law, PSA secretary Richard Wagstaff said today.
Manukau City Council has been operating under a partnership approach with the PSA for several years.

‘Many of the enduring values of this relationship, such as good faith, a shared commitment to improving the quality of the work done and the quality of the services delivered are in harmony with the ERA’s objectives,’ Mr Wagstaff said in his speech to council staff.

‘Our PSA’s Partnership for Quality’ agreement for the public service, signed with the State Services Minister Trevor Mallard in May, is further evidence we share many organisational objectives with this Government, he said.
‘We welcome the thrust and intention of the new laws and believe they will help develop better jobs, better services and better employer-employee relations across a range of industries, both public and private.

‘Management at Manukau City has been innovative, supportive and enthusiastic about what partnership can achieve. Our approach at Manukau will not change.

‘The Council has shown itself to be a forward thinking employer, which values a constructive and collective relationship with staff through an independent union. The Employment Relations Act’s introduction will reinforce these sorts of relationships.

‘The new law, however, will be a real challenge in work places where employers have refused to accept the rights of workers to collective union organisation and used the employment contracts act to undermine it.’

For more comment and information please call Richard Wagstaff on 025 2778131;
PSA organiser Gill Day on 025 277 8127
or the PSA media person Colin Williams on 025 575 839

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