PSA MEDIA RELEASE
November 2, 2009
For Immediate Use
PSA pleased ‘super city’ agency reflects union’s call to retain staff
The Public Service Association is pleased the Auckland Transition Agency has listened to the union and recognised the importance of retaining Auckland’s local government workers in the transition to the ‘super city.’

The PSA has 2600 members working for Auckland’s eight local authorities and council controlled organisations.

The Auckland Transition Agency has today release a discussion document outlining its proposed structure for the ‘super city’ due to be established on November 1 next year. The document includes protocols and processes for the transition of current local government staff to a single Auckland council.

The agency document states that: “A prudent approach will be taken to staff reduction where services are reorganised to minimise the loss of institutional knowledge and skills and to maintain staffing flexibility where this may be required by the new organisations.”

The document states: “The ATA says does not intend generally to review staff numbers or roles of staff whose jobs are specific to particular community facilities such as libraries, parks and recreational facilities.”

The agency also states: “The individual impact of staff reductions will be minimised wherever possible by the use of less disruptive approaches, such as attrition, appointment in alternative roles, and voluntary redundancy.”

“Aucklanders rely on their local government workers to provide a wide range of services like clean water, reliable roads, rubbish and waste water removal, libraries, parks and other recreational facilities,” says PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff.

“We’ve been highlighting the need to retain existing council workers to maintain delivery of these services when the ‘super city’ is established.”

“We’ve made this point to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance, the ‘super city’ select committee and in recent months to the transition agency.”

“We’re pleased the agency has listened to us and the document its released today reflects the need to retain Auckland’s local government workers to maintain the delivery of vital services to Aucklanders.”

“Now what’s needed is the Government to pass legislation to support the proposals and processes put out today by the Auckland Transition Agency.”

“It’s good to see the agency says decisions on staffing will reflect a commitment to maintaining or improving current local government service levels and activities.”

“The agency has also committed to working with staff and their unions on service design, development of resulting staffing plans and their implementation in the transition to the ‘super city.’

“What we want to see is the agency principles on the transfer of staff to the ‘super city’ incorporated in legislation governing the creation of the single Auckland council.

“We also want to see these principles applied to workers employed by council-control organisations.’’

“We’ve developed a positive relationship with the agency and will continue to work with them on retaining Auckland’s local government workers because they’re needed to make the ‘super city’ work,” says Richard Wagstaff.

ENDS

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