Public sector job cuts: PSA files legal proceedings against Ministry of Education over proposed cuts

The Ministry of Education (MoE) is being taken to court over job cuts forced by a Government directive to reduce spending.

The Public Service Association (PSA), a union representing public servants, said it had taken legal action in the Employment Relations Authority today.

“The ministry is not complying with the collective agreement requirement that it must do everything it can to find other roles for staff it is laying off,” said Duane Leo, national secretary for the PSA.

A total of 755 roles are proposed to be slashed, covering people working in regional offices, the Curriculum Centre, central services, those who work directly with the education sector and in support of the wider education sector workforce.

“This is not an action we have taken lightly and comes after we attended mediation on Thursday which ended with no commitment from the ministry to comply with the collective agreement,” Leo said.

“We have asked the authority to urgently deal with this matter as the livelihoods of hundreds of dedicated public servants are being disrupted by this rushed restructure forced on the ministry by the Government’s spending cuts.”

Leo said the collective agreement requires the MoE and PSA to try to agree to the outcomes of cost-cutting exercises and present that view to the management of the MoE.

“This has not been complied with. This is very similar to the clause in the TVNZ and PSA/E tū collective agreement – E tū last week succeeded in its claim at the ERA, forcing TVNZ to consult again with impacted workers,” he said.

“We are also seeking compliance with the provisions in the collective agreement that require the ministry to make every attempt to redeploy affected employees, on a case-by-case basis, including committing to retraining where possible.”

Speaking to media this afternoon, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he had not been briefed on the PSA’s actions, but the Government had been transparent in its approach. He said the increase in staff numbers in the public service was not sustainable.

“Families across New Zealand have tightened their belt, it’s entirely appropriate the Government tightens its belt as well.”

He defended the job cuts, saying they freed up money to be used on frontline services, as had happened in Corrections.

Asked if he was concerned further legal action would be taken against other government departments, Luxon said he had not been briefed so did not want to comment.

Leo said the scale of the restructuring is not an excuse for the MoE to opt out of its commitments in the collective agreement.

“We have reminded the ministry that the Government has been clear with the PSA and with the ministry that any changes made across the public sector must be done consistent with collective agreements,” Leo said.

The Minister of Education Erica Stanford would not comment further as it was a matter now before the Employment Relations Authority.

“We will continue to engage in good faith with PSA,” said the ministry’s Hautū corporate leader Zoe Griffiths.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.