Wide disruption predicted

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 1

Wide disruption predicted

The. Public Service Association predicts “major rationalisation” of the Labour Department, possibly triggering widespread industrial disruption among staff. The association’s Canterbury branch said today’s meeting of departmental staff might hear about; a programme to bring drastic change to the department which may involve redundancies. The branch has called a stopwork meeting of departmental staff for Monday to gauge porkers’ feelings about today’s announcement. Staff! (labelled today “Black Thursday” through (fear of the content of the address outlining a review.of the department under way! for'almost a year. Departmental officials have remained silent about the review’s contents and the essence : of today’s meeting. The P.S.A. has linked the re-

[view with a March 18,1 1987, Treasury report recommending [that the. department relinquish its employment and vocational guidance service, j !' However, the branch ! secretary, Mr John McKenzie, elaborated on the P.S.A.’s predictions. ]’• ,He thought a major irationialisation would be announced, with one or more [of three \ : results: ' ! ■ ' ' • A few departmental duties ; retained. ‘ ' 1 i i • A range of • departmental functions transferred to[ other i departments or agencies.! H ! j (•. Contracting; out of departI 1 mental services to private-sector 'business. ' ■ I■■ J H ' (I: ! The meeting [of Christchurch departmental staff will be held at the Theatre Royal today at JO a.m. There are .153 staff in the [ Christchurch branch of the i ! Labour Department.