KEY POINTS:
Far North Mayor Wayne Brown is defending his tough line on council employee attitudes and behaviour after the union representing 90 council staff described the new mayor's "abuse and threats" as unnecessary.
The Public Service Association's national secretary, Brenda Pilott, said Mr Brown's comments about staff during his
mayoral induction in Kaikohe this week had been insulting, threatening and unjustified.
The mayor had told the gathering there was going to be a massive cultural change in Far North council staff's behaviour and attitude, and they were not to threaten, insult, infuriate or demonise ratepayers.
It was not acceptable to pick on poor and disabled people, and staff had to learn to apologise for stupid behaviour or mistakes - of which there had been plenty, he said. Those who could not or would not embrace these changes would need to "re-examine their involvement" with the council.
But Ms Pilott said council staff and the PSA supported Mr Brown's aim to improve council performance for the benefit of all ratepayers, although this goal would not be achieved by bullying and abusing staff.
This was likely to see skilled and experienced people leave the council and make it hard to attract new staff.
"The message from council staff to Mr Brown is that he needs to abandon his confrontational approach.
"He needs to adopt a policy of working with staff and management for the benefit of the Far North community."
Staff were deeply disappointed that in his first act as the new mayor, Mr Brown had chosen to attack their integrity and threaten their jobs.
Mr Brown said yesterday: "This is plain, old-fashioned 19th-century unionism at its most unloved."
His induction statements were consistent with messages that had been central to his election campaign.
The public had voted heavily to support him. There had been support in the media for his stand, and talkback radio callers had been asking their mayors to give their councils the same messages, he said. He was only pointing out what would be acceptable and what not, in the way staff relate to the public in future.
"Nobody should feel insulted unless they know they have been involved in some of the bullying that's been going on. Does the PSA support such poor behaviour?" he asked.
Far North District Council chief executive Clive Manley said yesterday that his management team and council staff were firmly behind" improvements outlined by the mayor.
"Staff concerns are being worked through as they arise," Mr Manley said. "We are being given a clear direction and staff are responding to that."
WAR OF WORDS
"He needs to abandon his confrontational approach."
- Public Service Association national secretary Brenda Pilott
"This is plain, old-fashioned 19th-century unionism at its most unloved."
- Far North Mayor Wayne Brown