A progressive partnership agreement between the Education Review Office and the union representing its staff, the PSA, is to be signed this afternoon - just days after the independent future of the school inspection agency was guaranteed in the Government review.

Today’s 3 p.m. signing at the ERO office is the end result of much detailed planning aimed at achieving a shared and balanced role for all at the ERO, says PSA organiser Jeff Osborne.

‘This is an important step for our members. It sets up a formal relationship allowing us to jointly make a positive contribution, to collectively take part in workplace decisions and to help the ERO deliver a quality service to the New Zealand public,’ he said.

‘This development – building on the PSA’s Partnership for Quality agreement signed with the Government last year - is an extension of the good faith approach.

‘But rather than having this approach confined to collective agreement negotiations – which are also underway at the ERO - this now covers the day to day relationship between and employer and employees,’ Osborne said.

Key principles of the agreement include all dealings being ‘in the spirit of good faith, openness and honesty’ with agreed and clear lines of communication and information sharing.

This approach has already started with the setting up of a joint working party to look at the issue of staff workloads, Osborne said.

The partnership agreement is to be signed by the ERO’s chief review officer,
Karen Sewell and the PSA national secretary Lynn Middleton.

For more comment please call
the PSA organiser, Jeff Osborne on 025 915 979
or national secretary, Lynn Middleton on 025 306016

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