Big job cuts will cripple education commission, says staffer

Tertiary Education Commission chairman Wira Gardiner. Photo / Mark Mitchell

An employee of the Tertiary Education Commission has warned that plans to cut of a third of all jobs would compromise its effectiveness.

Staff at the commission were this week told of a proposal that could axe up to 123 of almost 300 existing jobs, offset by the creation of some new ones.

The commission now has several unfilled vacancies, so net job losses were likely to about 40, according to Public Service Association national secretary Brenda Pilott.

The proposed cuts are on top of about 70 job cuts 18 months ago as the National Government acted on its election policy to "clarify the role of the TEC, trim its bureaucracy and streamline its functions".

One employee, who did not wish to be named, said staff generally felt the first round of cuts was purely about budget savings.

The organisation was now unable to do its job properly and a further round of job losses would only worsen that situation.

"There's a real risk the organisation won't be able to make the informed investment decisions that it needs to, and that means there won't be investment in the areas of training for the skills that New Zealand needs."

TEC chairman Sir Wira Gardiner said it was "a fair question" to ask whether the commission could maintain its services in spite of the cuts.

However, "we wouldn't be doing this if we felt that the proposal that we were making to staff would eliminate or remove the capacity of the organisation to do its job".

Mitigating factors had also been taken into account under the proposal, including the recent transfer of some of functions, including policy advice, to other departments.

Sir Wira said the board was also aware the commission was operating "in a capped environment".

"There is no more money, and so what we have to do with the money that we've got is try to do better."

However, Sir Wira said cost-cutting was not a factor in the proposal.

Labour's state services tertiary education spokesman Grant Robertson said that while there was a case for streamlining the commission, he also had concerns about the TEC's capacity to do its job after the restructuring.

He said the proposed job losses made further mockery of National's election pledge to cap rather than cut public service jobs.

Consultation on restructuring at the commission is due to be completed, and recommendations implemented, by the end of May.