The PSA is hosting regional and online health forums in December to give members another opportunity to have their say in the reshaping of services.
The forums will focus on mental health & addiction services, Māori health inequities, and disability services.
Members are invited to propose solutions from a worker perspective to failures that have been identified in the system.
The forums are in Wellington on December 2, Christchurch December 3, and Auckland December 6.
ENSURING WORKER VOICE
The forums come six months after the Government released its response to He Ara Oranga: Report of the Government Inquiry in Mental Health and Addiction, closely followed by a $1.9 billion mental health package in this year’s budget.
As the Government has been implementing changes, the PSA has been working to ensure our members who will be delivering transformed mental healthcare are represented in the redesign of services.
We’ve been meeting regularly with Deputy Director-General of Mental Health & Addiction Robyn Shearer, while PSA representatives have also met with the MHA Directorate to discuss the struggling state of crisis teams.
As a result of this crisis team delegates will soon be invited to gather workforce experiences and ideas to report back to the Ministry of Health.
EARLY INITIATIVES
Several new mental health initiatives have already begun making headway.
These include a $6m pilot programme giving 22 general practices and kaupapa Māori providers funding to place trained mental health workers into primary health services such as doctors’ clinics and iwi health providers.
The Government’s suicide prevention strategy has identified national leadership, using evidence, workforce development, and evaluation and monitoring, as keys to building a strong system that supports wellbeing and responds to people’s needs.
An initial Mental Health Commission has been announced to help establish a permanent commission in February 2021. The Commission will track the Government’s progress on actions to improve mental healthcare, reporting back to the Minister of Health.
Journal Tags
- Affiliates
- Campaigns
- Climate Change
- Community Public Services
- CTU
- DHBs
- Equal Pay
- Fair Pay
- Feature Articles
- Future of Work
- Gender Pay Gap
- Industrial Action
- Local Government
- Mana Wahine
- Member Profiles
- Mental Health
- Networks
- News In Brief
- Out@PSA
- Pasefika
- President's Message
- PSA History
- PSAY
- Public Service
- Regular Features
- Te Rūnanga
- Workers' Rights
Also in this issue:
President's Message
In October I was fortunate to attend the Council of Trade Unions Conference along with other members of the PSA delegation.
Obituary: Lynn Middleton
PSA members and staff are deeply saddened by the recent and sudden death on November 13 of former PSA national secretary Lynn Middleton.
Working for Free
For Pasefika women the statistics are even more damning – they’ve been working for free since September 29 due to a 25.5% pay gap. The pay gap is almost as dire for wāhine Māori – a 22.1% pay gap left them working for free since October 12.
Kindly leading the way to Equal Pay
For Pasefika women the statistics are even more damning – they’ve been working for free since September 29 due to a 25.5% pay gap.
Stand Up for Library Workers
At the launch delegate Chantalle Smith spoke of how research for their equal pay claim had found the skills required to do their job could be broken down into 22 separate categories.
Mana Wahine: ‘Our passion is perceived as a threat'
A survey of wāhine Māori in the PSA has drawn a fantastic response - with more than 900 members taking the time to tell us about their employment experiences.
Stark statistics help fight for equal pay and transparency
Your salaries generally reflect the gender and ethnic pay gaps seen in the wider workforce with Pākeha men well out in front of other groups.
Fair Pay Agreements will give workers a fairer deal
That’s why we’ve made a submission on the Government’s new discussion document on FPAs and have been encouraging members to make sure their voices are heard.
Honours for workers on frontline
The inaugural Public Service Day – Te Rā Kāwanatanga was held last year so this is the second year the awards have been handed out.
PSAY Hui Inspires Success
After joining the PSA earlier this year, the DOC worker decided to attend the PSAY Hui in August.
Pasefika Voices on Climate Strike
The PSA proudly supported the School Strike for Climate in September. For some of our Pasefika members the effects of climate change are already hitting home. They tell us why they took part in the rally on Parliament.
“It opens their eyes”: Sector Māngai elected at Hui
Their role is to organise and advocate for Māori members in their sectors. They also represent their sectors on Te Kōmiti o Te Rūnanga o Ngā Toa Awhina and on sector committees.
Reducing Māori Health Inequities
The convenor of Te Tira Hauora Kōmiti, a committee of Māori delegates across the DHB sector, presented their submission to the inquiry in November.
‘It’s important to have Māori and female voices at the table’
Staff from the Ministry’s policy teams have attended UN indigenous rights forums in Geneva and New York.
100 Years On - Labour is still not a Commodity
Its constitution still strikes a chord for those of us fighting for workers' rights:
Fearsome fighter
That’s because when she’s not involved in a tough round of negotiations, or doing her day job as a forensic technician, Kelly is likely to be found in the Muay Thai kickboxing ring.
A lifetime of discovery
As a curator of the hugely popular Awesome Forces exhibition at Te Papa Museum, and co-presenter of TV show, Coast New Zealand, he has also helped bring science to a wider audience.
Unity in Diversity
In the workplace union members seek to be visible, vocal and valued but for some workers being visible is a risk - not a right they are afforded.
