Public service funding needs clarity
The Public
Service Association says Labour’s commitment to care and
support workers’ pay equity is the first step based on
work already completed, but the union campaign for a full
settlement within the first 100 days of a new government
will continue.
“The initial payrise is welcome, but
justice will only be done if it is followed quickly by full
settlement of the care and support workers’ pay equity
claim which is based on the agreed undervaluation of this
work which is up to 38 percent,” said Fleur Fitzsimons,
National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te
Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“We will not be taking the
pressure off to deliver a pay equity settlement for care and
support workers. These workers cannot be expected to keep
waiting for pay equity.”
“Care and support workers
need a Labour-led Government to ensure that their work is
properly valued – this is their only hope after National, NZ
First and Act cancelled their claim and gutted the Equal Pay
Act 1972.
“We still want to see a full pay equity
settlement implemented for these 65,000 workers in the first
100 days and we will make ourselves available to take part
in urgent work to make sure this happens.
“We
anticipate a settlement could be reached through a one-day
meeting if the funding is available and the political will
is clear.”
Pay equity makes economic and fiscal sense.
PSA analysis based on Treasury’s own model shows
reinstating it would grow the economy by $13.5 billion over
four years, create around 13,000 jobs, and lift an estimated
11,000 children out of poverty (see below).
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Voters
also support a settlement of all claims. A Talbot Mills poll
commissioned by the PSA shows people would rather push out
the surplus target than keep making women wait (see
below).
“It is time to right the wrongs committed by
this government,” said Fitzsimons. “Pay equity is an
expensive election commitment because working women in New
Zealand have been undervalued and underpaid for too long.
They can’t afford to wait any longer.”
Comment on
public service expenditure
Labour also announced it
would reverse half of the additional cuts planned for the
next Budget and fully reverse the cuts planned for future
Budgets.
This is in addition to the party’s
commitment to implement the public good test for all
restructures put forward at the PSA Congress in
September.
“We call on Labour to further clarify that
cuts that have not already taken effect at the start of a
Labour-led government will not go ahead,” said Duane Leo,
National Secretary of the New Zealand Public Service
Association.
“Labour will need to spend more on
rebuilding the public service which will take significant
investment. The cuts have taken their toll on individuals
but also on the capacity of the public service to deliver
public services.
“A strong New Zealand needs a strong
public service, all cuts should be reversed,” said
Leo.
Statement re undervaluation of care and support
workers
29
September Opening of books must force Opposition parties to
commit to pay equity
The PSA and the NZ Nurses
Organisation reveal publicly the precise historic
undervaluation of care and support workers showing they have
been underpaid by between 24 percent and 38
percent.
Pay equity poll
26
September Pay equity poll: voters say make the fiscals wait,
not women!
PSA analysis of economic and fiscal
upside to restoring pay equity
9
September Restoring pay equity would boost income of 91,000
families by $300/week – PSA analysis
23
August Govt’s axing of pay equity cost jobs & GDP
growth – PSA
analysis
