Fri, 04 Dec 2009 8:13p.m.
The PSA say the Ministry of Justice has its head in the sand over pay disputes
The Ministry of Justice is hoping a dispute with union members will "fade away" if they put an end to pay discussions, the employees' union says.
The ministry today said it believed it had exhausted all options for settling expired collective employment agreements with unionised staff.
Public Service Association (PSA) members have taken rolling strike action in recent weeks over their stalled pay talks.
The PSA said courts and tribunals staff were paid an average 6.3 percent less than the rest of the public service, and wanted the differential addressed.
Andrew Hampton, the ministry's general manager, higher courts, said today that "despite our best efforts we believe bargaining is at an end".
"We would welcome the PSA to come forward with new proposals to restart talks, but if not, there is nothing more for us to discuss," he said.
Mr Hampton said that more than 80 percent of staff who met or exceeded performance expectations in the previous financial year would have received a one-off payment.
"On top of that, a pay rise in 2010 would have been enjoyed by nearly 90 percent of staff."
But PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff said the ministry was just avoiding the issue if they thought they could unilaterally declare bargaining over and hope that the issues behind this dispute will "simply fade away".
"Clearly the action taken by PSA members over the past few weeks is putting pressure on the ministry, but instead of showing leadership and addressing the legitimate concerns of PSA members, who are the majority of staff, they have pushed the panic button by trying to call off bargaining and making offers to individual staff."
The tactics were designed to undermine collective bargaining, he said.
"Instead the ministry will just provoke more industrial disruption and tension in the workplace.
"The employer has their head in the sand by consistently refusing to address the claims put forward by the PSA. Members have made it clear to the employer that they want a fair and transparent pay system. The Ministry of Justice has not responded constructively."
The ministry needed to realise that a settlement would only be reached through constructive negotiations, Mr Wagstaff said.
NZPA
