PSA MEDIA RELEASE
February 16, 2009
For Immediate Use

Government ignores its own call for a public sector pay freeze

“The government is being completely inconsistent and ignoring its own efforts to put a lid on pay rates in the public sector,” says PSA National Secretary Brenda Pilott.

Figures it has released, after being asked to do so under the Official Information Act, reveal
there’s been a 125% increase in the number of staff in Cabinet ministers office earning more than $100,000.

There are now 36 ministerial staff earning more than $100,000 compared to 16 under the last government. Of these, 24 are earning more than $120,000 compared to 8 under the previous government.

“Under this government seven staff working for ministers now earn more than $150,000 a year compared to two under the last government,” says Brenda Pilott.

“This increase in pay for people working for government ministers comes at a time when those same ministers are trying to talk down pay for workers in the public sector.”

“There’s a clear contradiction between the government’s words and their actions when it comes to the issue of pay restraint,” says Brenda Pilott.

She says the government has also made a massive u-turn on the line it was running before the election on the employment of communications staff.

“National attacked the previous government and government departments saying they were employing communications staff to sell the Labour-led government’s message,” says Brenda Pilott.

“And now it’s willing to pay more for its political advisers and press secretaries - ‘spin doctors’ to sell its message.”

She says the number of Ministerial staff on these increased salaries looks set to rise as the government is advertising for more staff to work in Ministerial officers.

“The government is saying that it’s had to increase salaries for its Ministerial staff to attract staff with the skills needed to do this work,” says Brenda Pilott.

“If that’s the case then how will the public sector be able to recruit and retain the skilled staff it needs if the government imposes an across-the-board pay freeze,” says Brenda Pilott.

ENDS

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