The findings of a review of the Public Service
Commission’s advertising condemning lawful strike action
last year by tens of thousands of workers, including 21,000
PPTA members, should be of serious concern to all New
Zealanders, says Chris Abercrombie, PPTA Te Wehengarua
president.
“A politically neutral public service
commission is a cornerstone of a healthy and functioning
democracy. The fact that the Commission’s advertisements
condemning lawful strike action have been found to have
risked being seen as not politically neutral rings alarm
bells for all of us who value democracy and workers’ legal
rights in Aotearoa New Zealand.
“All around the
world we are seeing so many examples of individuals’ and
nations’ legal and democratic rights being abused at best
and quashed at worst. The Public Service Commissioner being
seen to play politics could understandably be perceived as
the beginning of a slippery slope.
“In times like
these, it is imperative that people in these positions are
squeaky clean and that they are seen to abide by the rules
that both ensure a healthy democracy and enable workers to
exercise their lawful rights.
“We hope that the
Public Service Commissioner reflects carefully on the
findings of this review and commits to acting more wisely in
future.”
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