Ministry Of Social Development Set To Cut Security Guards

Ellen
O’Dwyer, Senior Reporter

The Ministry of
Social Development is planning to cut the number of security
guards at Work and Income offices throughout the
country.

Twenty jobs are set to go at 20 offices in
regional towns next month – reducing the number of guards at
these sites from three to two.

Security guards and
unions are blaming cost-cutting and are alarmed
at the safety risks the lay-offs pose, following the
murders of two Ashburton Work and Income employees in
2014.

The Ministry of Social Development, which
employs Allied Security as a contractor, told RNZ the
changes aren’t driven by cost-cutting and follow safety
upgrades and changes to office lay-out, including bringing
outside guards inside.

E tū union said the offices
affected are in Alexandra, Balclutha, Cambridge, Dannevirke,
Feilding, Foxton, Gore, Greymouth, Marton, Matamata,
Ngāruawāhia, Ōtaki, Queenstown, Stratford, Taihape, Te
Kūiti, Wainuiomata, Waitara, Waiuku and
Westport.

Security guard Henare Eynon, who works in
Marton, told RNZ he was worried for the safety of Work and
Income staff, his colleagues and the public.

“Going
from three guards to two guards is a significant change,
it’s not just one person less, it’s a 50 percent increase
for the remaining two, and the loss of a spare pair of
eyes.”

‘The risk is real at any office’ – security
guard

In 2014, Russell John Tully walked into the
Ashburton Work and Income offices armed with a shotgun and
killed two staff members, Peggy Noble and Leigh Cleveland.
Tully was sentenced to life in prison for
murder.

Eynon said that could happen again.

“The
risk is real at any office – it depends on the person that’s
coming in, and what condition the person is in – there are a
lot of mental health clients out there that will go off
their rockers at times.”

He said while many clients
are respectful, he’s dealt with dangerous situations over
the past several years as a guard in the lower North Island
– including a client threatening to drive into a Work and
Income office, and another attempting to come inside with a
knife.

One man threatened violence when he was asked
to sign in at the front desk, Eynon said, but he talked him
out of it.

“He says I’m coming over there to punch you
in the f***ing head, and I said come on then, you’re welcome
to try, but you’re going to end up in jail if you do that,
and I said it calmly.”

Eynon said he’s not taking aim
at his employer Allied Security or the Ministry of Social
Development staff – but believes the government is behind a
decision to cut costs.

Another security guard from the
lower North Island, who RNZ has agreed not to name, said
even small offices could deal with “nasty” experiences on a
monthly basis.

“The vulnerability of the staff is a
big concern to me, because once trouble happens, especially
in small sites, it’s hard to get away from.”

He
disagreed with a recent change to bring guards standing
outside inside the offices.

“We have no ability to
check people’s intoxication, mental health, level of
aggression before they enter the building, and once they’re
in, they’re in, and it’s far more difficult to get somebody
out of an office, rather than just stop them at the
door.”

E tū national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said
the government and Allied Security should immediately stop
the changes.

She said the Ashburton shooting drove MSD
to employ extra security guards, and ensure three were
stationed at each office.

“It’s as if everyone
involved has forgotten about the tragic events that occurred
in Ashburton, or they are willing to risk it happening again
to save a few bucks?

“What we don’t know is any
rationale for reducing the number of guards – we haven’t
seen that – we don’t know whether the employer Allied
Security has been provided that information from MSD, but
certainly we haven’t seen it.”

Public Service
Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimmons said she
had requested a full risk assessment from MSD over the
changes, but that consultation with MSD workers at offices
had so far not happened.

“There is widespread anxiety
amongst staff over these changes.

“People come to
these MSD offices in times in their lives which are
distressing, and too often they take their frustrations out
on staff. The security guards are an absolutely critical
safety initiative for staff and members of the public,”
Fitzsimmons said.

‘Confident’
we’ve responded to Ashburton – MSD

The killings in
Ashburton prompted MSD to launch an internal review, and
employ an extra 100 security guards at Work and Income
centres.

Worksafe brought charges against MSD and in
2016, Judge Jan-Marie Doogue found
the ministry had failed to ensure there was no
physically unrestricted access to the staff working
area.

Ministry of Social Development deputy chief
executive for organisational and risk assurance, Melissa
Gill, told RNZ MSD had invested $80 million over the last 10
years in a major upgrade to all its sites, including
implementing lockdown zones and upgrading security
equipment.

She said MSD took the safety of all staff
and clients at offices seriously.

“I’m confident that
we have responded to the events in Ashburton, we’ve had a
concerted programme of work over the past 10 years, we’ve
created safer and more secure spaces in our sites, we ensure
our staff are well-trained and supported to respond to
incidents should they occur.”

She
said reducing guard numbers was not due to cost-cutting, but
part of a review of security settings including a decision
to move guards standing outside, inside.

Gill said
MSD’s data had shown a drop in serious incidents being
reported, and there would still be between two and five
security guards across all 121 Work and Income
offices.

She said the agency had done a risk
assessment at every office, had “planned and tested” the
specific changes over a number of years, and kept the PSA
informed.

Gill said bringing the security guards
inside was safer for them, and guards could watch for a
client’s behaviour from inside offices.

“The guards
receive training from Allied on how to observe people’s
action as they are approaching an environment, so they are
able to monitor that as the person is approaching the
site.”

She said if a serious incident occurred, guards
and staff were trained to go into lockdowns, and worked
closely with the police.

Gill did not rule out further
cuts to guards at other sites.

“It would be fair to
say this is an ongoing programme of work but I can’t comment
on that at the moment because we are still working through
the process with our sites and with the PSA.”

Allied
Security general manager of operations Chris McDowall said
MSD advised the company of a change of operating model for
selected sites within the wider contract.

He said
Allied supported the changes following a trial in
2025.

“We expect minimal role losses as part of this
process and remain focused on the wellbeing of our staff and
all those affected by any change
process.”

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