More deep cuts proposed for NZDF’s civilian workforce
lay bare the hypocrisy of the Government’s promise to lift
defence spending.
NZDF told staff today of plans for a
major restructure of the civilian workforce resulting in a
net reduction of 374 roles. This comes on top of cuts late
last year which saw 144 civilian workers take voluntary
redundancy.
“The Prime Minister is a
hypocrite. He said his government would spend more on
Defence but is now responsible for cutting critical civilian
expertise that are critical to ensuring that we have a
combat-ready Defence Force,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National
Secretary for the Public Service Association for Te Pūkenga
Here Tikanga Mahi.
“Show us the money
Prime Minister. The current unstable international climate
means Government must invest in all areas of Defence, but we
are seeing the opposite with these dangerous and damaging
proposed cuts
“This is about saving money, not the
security of New Zealand. How can the Government talk on one
hand about the need to invest more in defence to counter
rising international risks and yet allow these cuts? It’s
dangerous and makes no sense.
“Defence
can’t operate without a well-resourced civilian workforce
to maintain IT systems, provide healthcare for military
personnel, provide engineering support for military
equipment and other critical functions. Civilians are the
backbone of our Defence Force.
“Soon the
Government will announce the Defence Capability Plan which
will outline future investments in specialist equipment and
technology.
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“None of that can be effective without the
support of highly skilled civilian workers. It’s the wrong
choice the Government is making to shed so many roles
performed by civilian workers again on top of last year’s
cuts. These cuts should not be made until the details of the
Capability Plan are known.
“These cuts mean already
heavy workloads will increase, and uniformed staff will pick
up some of the duties of civilian workers. That will only
worsen NZDF’s retention problem. More skilled uniformed
staff will leave, further weakening our frontline civil
defence and military capability.
“The Government has
made a deliberate choice to underfund the public sector,
from health through to defence, putting patients’ lives at
risk, and the security of our nation, and all for tax cuts.
The chickens are coming home to roost and the price New
Zealanders are paying is growing by the day.
“The PSA
will be opposing these cuts and sending a strong message to
the Government that these cuts should be stopped if it’s
serious about prioritising the security of the
nation.”
Previous statements
24
February 2025 Stop Defence civilian job cuts if the Govt is
serious about increasing spending
3
December 2024 NZDF poised to axe more civilian roles as it
faces a $360m blowout in
costs
