Welfare Dept staff threaten action

Press, 15 July 1987, Page 7

Welfare Dept staff threaten action

Christchurch Social Welfare Department staff have threatened to take industrial action because of proposed reductions in staff numbers and the employment of temporary wnrkPT'Q “I believe the Social Welfare Department is under a major attack,” said the Public Service Association’s Canterbury regional ’ secretary, Mr John McKenzie. The association was "deeply concerned” about a recent trend in Government departments to employ temporary workers, he said. Christchurch social welfare P.S.A. members demanded at a recent meeting that 34 permanent positions which were to be cut be retained “to enable this office to continue to function.” A report from that meeting asked the depart-

ment’s head office to respond by July 17. “Failure to respond by these deadlines, or an unfavourable decision, will result in members implementing the following industrial action,” the report said.

The action included not implementing new policies, not replying to Ministerial correspondence, not returning statistical information, and preparing letters for clients to forward to members of Parliament. It is believed the action is designed to not inconvenience the public. The report said, however, that "if all else fails, escalation of industrial action will be considered.” Mr McKenzie said members had asked for approval from the association’s head office to go ahead with the action. They were awaiting

a response. The staff had fought hard in the past for more staff. Mr McKenzie said he was concerned that temporary workers had been employed in social work positions. This would make it easy to dismantle the department’s Social Work Division, and hand its work to community organisations. The department was being restructured in a move towards corporatisation, he asserted.

The “easy targets” had already been corporatised but now the Government was working on the “socalled sacred cows” of social welfare, health, and education.

“They are breaking down the whole Social Welfare Department.” The department’s Christchurch director, Mr

Maurice Doocey, said there was no connection between staff reductions in Christchurch and corporatisation of other Government departments.

“There is a need to reduce our staff by 24 positions,” he said. The target of 34 for reduction had been revised.

Staff would not be reduced in the Social Work Division and vacancies there would be filled by permanent staff, said Mr Doocey. Although the division did now have some temporary workers it was in the process of appointing permanent staff. “We are looking at reducing the staff ceiling in areas where there would be minimal impact on services given to the community,” he said.

Reductions would occur also through staff departures.