PSA MEDIA RELEASE

May 22, 2007

PSA President And Prime Minister Sign Partnership Agreement

PSA President, Keith Gutsell and Prime Minister Helen Clark are formally signing a new Partnership for Quality Agreement between the union and the Government at Parliament tomorrow. (Wed May 23)

The PSA has 55,000 members spanning the state sector from government departments, such as DOC, to State Owned Enterprises, such as Television New Zealand.

The new partnership agreement covers government departments in the core public service. It's designed to deliver a fair workplace for the staff and ensure New Zealanders get high quality public services.

"Partnership enables the Government and public service to work together to find the most effective and efficient ways of providing services that New Zealanders need, such as bio security and conservation," says PSA National Secretary, Brenda Pilott.

"The key to achieving this is to ensure we fully use the knowledge, skills and experience of our public servants, by including them in decision-making. Partnership enables that to happen," says Brenda Pilott.

This is the third partnership agreement between PSA members and the Government. The first was signed in 2000. It was aimed at re-building the public service, which was so run down after the economic restructuring of the late 1980s and early 1990s, that it was unable to carry out some of its basic functions.

"We signed a second partnership agreement in 2003 and the process has proven successful in rebuilding the public service," says PSA National Secretary Richard Wagstaff.

"Staff, who are PSA delegates, meet with their managers to help solve problems, lift productivity and deliver some of the best public services in the world," says Richard Wagstaff.

The third agreement recognises the vital role played by PSA delegates in improving our public services. It aims to ensure delegates are able to meet regularly with their management and are given the training and tools to carry out this important work.

"The new agreement also focuses on ways of improving public service productivity and responsiveness," says Brenda Pilott.

"One key element in achieving that is making the public service a good place to work. This will enable us it to attract and retain quality staff who can provide quality services for the benefit of all New Zealanders."

ENDS

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