“The Public Service Association welcomes the opportunity to have a serious discussion with the government about improving productivity in the public sector,” says PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff.
“Staff in the public sector want to work in well run organisations and to have the time and resources they need to provide effective services to the public.”
“They want to be able to work in workplaces that promote innovation so they can meet the needs of the public.”
“We call on the government to encourage state sector employers to work with unions so we can make the changes needed to increase innovation and productivity in the sector.”
Mr Wagstaff is responding to a statement by Finance Minister Bill English in Parliament yesterday that state sector workers cannot expect pay increases unless they increase their productivity.
“The government also needs to recognise that this is not a short term project and that improved productivity will not be achieved through political point scoring,” says Richard Wagstaff.
“Real and sustained improvements require a long term perspective because there are a number of things acting as a handbrake on increasing productivity in the public sector.”
“These include out-dated ‘human resource’ practices and the 21 year old State Sector Act.”
“State sector workers and the PSA would welcome the opportunity to work with the government and employers in the sector on making the changes needed in these areas.”
“Mr English is wrong to claim that public sector productivity levels have been ‘appalling’ because there’s a lack of appropriate and reliable ways of measuring productivity in the public sector,” says Richard Wagstaff.
Media contact Nick Hirst 027 600-5498. PSA National Secretary Richard Wagstaff 027 277 8131