Labour revenue spokesperson Mark Peck says he is outraged by the latest example of bullying behaviour from the Inland Revenue Department.

Mr Peck said that PSA workers within the IRD have been given until 4.30pm today to agree to a new employment contract. The contract will deliver for them a $1600 pay increase but take away their existing conditions of employment.

"Once again the behaviour from management towards staff is outrageous. The IRD is attempting to impose a contract on workers without proper negotiations. It has taken no account of the PSA's concerns, which are to ensure a quality-based contract with IRD that delivers a good working environment.

"Instead, this deal has been presented to the PSA as a fait accompli. It was negotiated with TaxPro, the employer-based union within IRD representing about 600 workers. The PSA represents over 2700 workers in IRD.

"It is this same sort of heavy-handed approach by management that has led to the current problems with, and inquiry into, the IRD," Mr Peck said.

"The siege mentality percolates down through to workers and impacts on the level of service ultimately received by customers. Has the IRD learnt nothing from the problems it has experienced in the past six months?

"It appears not. Once the IRD should be ashamed of its bullying behaviour," Mr Peck said.

The IRD will be at select committee today and Mr Peck says he will be asking it to explain its position.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>