WorkSafe New Zealand, Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa, will open consultation for kaimahi on its organisational change proposal on 23 October.
The change proposal aims to deliver WorkSafe’s new strategy and increase its frontline services over time. “Our new strategy defines how we will undertake our role as Aotearoa New Zealand’s primary work health and safety regulator,” says Interim Chief Executive Kane Patena. “This involves a mix of enforcement, engagement and permitting activities, with a targeted focus on high-risk sectors and high-risk work activities.”
“To contribute to better work health and safety outcomes and help businesses manage risks we are proposing to increase our frontline services, which includes investing an additional $2.7 million into growing our inspectorate. In turn, we are proposing to simplify our structure, reduce some non-frontline roles, and ensure all roles are clearly linked to strategic delivery.”
Kane Patena says the strategic reset requires a shift in how roles and funding will be allocated in the proposed structure. WorkSafe’s allocated budget is less than last financial year due to the cessation of ACC and time-limited funding.
While the proposal aims to increase frontline services over time, there would be an overall reduction of approximately 20 roles. The proposal involves disestablishing 180 roles (of which approximately 55 – 60 are currently vacant) and establishing 140 new roles. Where possible, kaimahi will be redeployed into future roles. We are also proposing to simplify the structure, streamline our non-frontline functions and ensure all roles are clearly linked to strategic delivery.
Following pre-consultation engagement with the Public Service Association (PSA), the all-staff consultation period will begin on 23 October and run until 8 November 2024. All staff feedback will be considered, and decisions will be communicated with WorkSafe kaimahi first.
“The Government accounts released today show that spending and debt continues to grow under the current Government, but there is no plan to deliver a better economy,” said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney.
“Net Core Crown Debt increased by $20bn last year, with revenue from taxation also rising by $8bn. The OBEGAL deficit increased $3.4bn last year alone, to $12.9bn.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis admitted, “The accounts show the corrosive impact of low growth and low productivity…and we are cutting back on the investments needed to lift both.” Yet there is no plan to solve this problem, Renney said.
“The Government accounts showed our overreliance on income tax and GST taxes to balance the books. Source deductions from wages increased 10.1% during the last year. The GST take increased by 4.1%. But other sources of taxation have not increased at the same rate, or have fallen in the form of corporate taxation (-5.9%). We need a better conversation about how taxes are being levied and why.” Renney said.
“Spending on welfare has increased by 8%, with Jobseeker Support expenses rising by 17%. Welfare payments would be higher if the one-off $600m cost-of-living support is removed. Unemployment is expected to rise significantly in the future, meaning that welfare expenses will be higher in the future.”
Renney said “The Government has provisioned $500m for the Cook Straight Ferry (iREX) Costs, which is only the cost of the works abandoned to date. This doesn’t include the cost of cancelling the ferry contract, nor the cost of purchasing the replacement ferries necessary. The Government is likely facing a $bn bill for that decision alone.”
“The Minister signalled new cuts in her speech at the event, while requiring new economic growth to deliver on their financial aspirations. Yet decisions like iREX show that the Government has no means of delivering sustainable growth. Health New Zealand is looking for $2bn in savings right now, yet the Government is looking for further savings in spending on top.”
“The Government’s fiscal strategy needs to change. Government debt is low by international standards, and there is no shortage of projects to invest in. These would improve employment and economic outcomes – both of which will benefit working people. Yet the Government is wedded to plan that will see unemployment rise, and investment fall. It’s time for a better plan.” Renney said.
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney said the decision by the Reserve Bank to cut the official cash rate by 50 basis points (0.5%) to 4.75% will be a welcome relief to workers facing higher unemployment and a struggling economy. “The Reserve Bank has been forced into a significant cut because the economy has failed to fire. Weak consumer spending, weak business investment, weak house prices, and a weakening labour market all put our economic recovery at risk.”
“The Government is expecting the Reserve Bank to do all the work and support economic growth. Rather than supporting the economy and working people through difficult times, this Government has chosen to cut spending and investment, and is happy to see unemployment rise to levels not seen for a long time. These are choices, and the Government could invest now to deliver the growth we need for the future. Simply cutting interest rates returns to the economy of the past – and all the problems it already had”.
“While many people will welcome lower interest rates, and some retailers will welcome the potential for additional spending, the rate cut is not a sign of strength in the economy but is a recognition of its weakness. We need to build a better economy, one with good work and higher incomes. Nothing in the government’s plan for cuts delivers that.” Renney said.
Quarterly accounts released by Te Whatu Ora raise serious questions about the financial challenges the Government’s claims are facing the health sector, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney.
“The CTU highlighted at the Budget that the health sector desperately needs more funding. The report released yesterday shows the cuts to health services will go much deeper than previously advertised,” said Renney.
“The report states that $2bn of ‘savings’ are now targeted in health, just in this fiscal year (p.57). That’s a huge potential cut and is clearly not possible from just efficiencies.
“We spend $14.6bn annually on hospital services in New Zealand, and $9bn on primary health services like GP’s. The $2bn ‘savings’ are significantly more than the $130m a month the Government previously claimed. It’s also not clear if this gap is a one-off or ongoing, which would require savings year after year in health.
“It also appears that the Government has underspent on its capital programme (p.54) – spending just $1.6bn from a capital budget of $3.4bn.
“This begs questions about why Ministers are claiming that Dunedin Hospital is now unaffordable when the Government has underspent by $1.8bn in one year alone.
“Ministers clearly have questions to answer about the real nature of the savings now being required in the health sector and why.
“Ministers should be transparent with the public about why pay equity funding is not being provided, why capital investment is not taking place, and why $2bn in savings are now being targeted in health – when the claim at Budget was that health had sufficient funding,” said Renney.
E tū, the union representing TVNZ workers, is raising significant concerns over the broadcaster’s proposed sweeping changes, which could reshape not just TVNZ, but Aotearoa New Zealand’s wider media landscape.
E tū Negotiation Specialist, Michael Wood, has called for full and meaningful engagement as these proposals are considered, emphasising the potential risks to both TVNZ and the country’s media ecosystem.
“The scale of change being proposed here is enormous,” Michael says.
“This is not just a transformation within TVNZ, but one that could have far-reaching consequences for the entire media sector. These changes must be worked through with great care, and E tū and its members will accept nothing less than genuine engagement from all parties involved.”
While E tū acknowledges the necessity of shifting towards a digital future, the union is deeply concerned about the potential loss of TVNZ’s core strengths, particularly its skilled staff and capacity to deliver in-depth, quality journalism.
“We support the move towards a more digital service, but this must be done in a way that preserves the essence of what makes TVNZ valuable. It’s crucial to safeguard the ability to investigate and report on the stories that matter.
“Cutting back on text-based content while simultaneously removing successful video programmes like Fair Go and Sunday raises serious questions about the direction of these changes. If TVNZ is serious about a video-first strategy, they need to invest – not simply slash resources.”
A key concern is the proposal to outsource jobs, potentially overseas.
“Outsourcing jobs threatens TVNZ’s most important asset – skilled, experienced staff, with deep institutional knowledge. Outsourcing not only risks losing these skills but can lead to higher costs and a weaker organisation. We’ve seen this play out in other sectors, and it’s not a path we should go down.”
E tū is also questioning the Government’s role in pressuring TVNZ to deliver a dividend during such a pivotal moment for the organisation.
“It’s difficult to understand why the Government would maintain pressure for a dividend in this environment. TVNZ is undergoing major upheaval, and it would be wise for the Government to reconsider its expectations while these significant changes are being negotiated.”
E tū members will hold a union meeting on Thursday to fully discuss the proposals and decide the next steps.
WorkSafe has uncovered multiple failures that contributed to a teenager’s death on a school caving trip in Northland last year.
Whangārei Boys’ High School student Karnin Petera drowned in floodwaters from torrential rain at Abbey Caves in May 2023. Sixteen other students on the trip and their two supervisors were lucky to survive.
Karnin’s parents contacted the school multiple times to express their concerns about the weather in the lead-up to the trip, but were told it would go ahead as the school didn’t expect heavy rain until later.
A full day before the group ventured in, MetService had issued an orange weather warning forecasting heavy rain. The school’s own risk assessment for the caving trip noted it would be cancelled in the event of heavy rain warnings. However, WorkSafe found there was no shared understanding among organisers and decision-makers of exactly what heavy rain meant, or when trips would be cancelled.
Overall, the school Board had ineffective oversight of high-risk activities and critical decisions, and its emergency planning failed to identify the risk of rising water trapping students while caving. The Board fully cooperated with WorkSafe throughout the entire investigation.
“This tragedy is the worst nightmare of any parent, and could easily have involved multiple casualties. Our heartfelt sympathy remains with Karnin’s friends and whānau who continue to mourn his loss and the survivors who live with ongoing impacts,” says WorkSafe’s Inspectorate Head, Rob Pope.
“Outdoor education plays a crucial role in providing students with valuable, real-world learning experiences that enhance their overall education. However, there must be gold standard risk management whenever schools take rangatahi into the great outdoors. This drowning should be a moment for every school board in the country to ensure its oversight of outdoor education is robust – and if you’re at all unsure, get an expert involved,” says Rob Pope.
Education outside the classroom (EOTC) safety management systems should be regularly reviewed by school boards.
“It is essential that the person responsible for EOTC in each school is registered on the EOTC coordinators database and participates in ongoing professional development, so schools can continue delivering safe, engaging, and high-quality education outside the classroom,” says Education Outdoors New Zealand’s chief executive, Fiona McDonald.
Schools must manage their risks under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. WorkSafe is proactively engaging with the Ministry of Education, Education Review Office, and Education Outdoors NZ to raise awareness of the issues and drive improvements across the sector.
The Whangārei Boys’ High School Board was sentenced at Whangārei District Court on 27 September 2024
The charges were filed against the legal entity of the Board, not individuals
Reparation payments of more than $500,000 were ordered but the details are suppressed
The Board was charged under sections 36(2), 48(1) and 2(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Being a PCBU, having a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers of other persons is not put at risk from work carried out as part of the conduct of the business or undertaking, namely the outdoor education caving activity to Abbey Caves Reserve, did fail to comply with that duty, and that failure exposed other persons, including Karnin Petera, to a risk or death or serious injury.
The Board was charged under sections 36(1)(a), 48(1) and 2(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Being a PCBU, having a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers who work for the PCBU while the workers were at work in the business or undertaking, namely undertaking an outdoor education caving activity to Abbey Caves Reserve, did fail to comply with that duty, and that failure exposed workers to a risk of death or serious injury.
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Evidence released by the NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi today shows that the gender pay gap is not closing quickly enough. “Calculations of official data show that women are paid 8.9% less than men on average. This fell by less than 1% last year. It is time for bolder action from the Government.” said NZCTU Vice President Rachel Mackintosh.
“It is unacceptable that in 2024 women are still discriminated against. On current trends it will take until 2055 to achieve gender pay parity across the economy – 83 years since the signing of the Equal Pay Act in 1972.”
“As Pasifika women are paid so much less than Pākeha men, they are effectively working for free from today, 27 September 2024. Wāhine Māori start working for free from October 14. All women start working for free from November 8. The average female worker loses $149.20 a week in income due to gender-based discrimination.”
“When women’s work is devalued and underpaid, women live in poverty, and so do their children. The ripples of childhood poverty last whole lives. There is no justification for perpetuating inequality by failing to act to raise women’s pay.”
“The most efficient way to close the gender pay gap is via pay equity settlements.”
“Changes by this government will make the pay equity process more difficult. By closing the Pay Equity Unit, the coalition Government will make funding for existing and future pay equity settlements harder. They have stopped progress.”
In addition, lifting the Minimum Wage by less than inflation affects more women than men.
Ceasing progress on pay transparency means the injustice of pay inequity continues to live in the dark.
“Closing the gender pay gap would benefit the wider economy and deliver $1.5bn in new tax. And it would be an essential step to good work and providing dignity for all. It would benefit everyone. It is clearly untenable for the gender pay gap to continue to exist until 2055. Action is needed now.”
“Today’s announcement of a possible trade deal with the United Arab Emirates is not a cause for celebration”, says NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff. “There is no evidence of a deal with no enforceable rights for workers, protections against forced labour or modern slavery. Nothing has been noted abut enhancing the rights of women in the UAE.”
“We don’t currently know the real value of the deal. No National Impact Analysis or economic analysis has been made public. The International Trade Union Confederation states the UAE has one of the worst records for absolute denial of fundamental workers’ rights. No Independent Trade Unions are allowed under UAE law, nor is there any right to strike. One thing we do know is that this deal does nothing to help tackle climate change.”
“We will be working with the Government, parliament, and allies to highlight the problems that this trade deal will create. Migrant workers in the UAE make up 88 percent of the overall workforce, yet they have little or no protections at work. This agreement does nothing to protect them. We should send this agreement back so that a properly enforceable trade deal can be signed,” said Wagstaff.
“The Minister of Public Service Nicola Willis is expecting public servants to stop working from home to help bolster the flagging local economy is micromanaging gone mad and counterproductive.” NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff said.
“This Government has already tried to control staffing ratios in terms of ‘front line’ and ‘back office, and now it is trying to control where people should work.”
“Minister Willis should concentrate on the big picture issues confronting Aotearoa New Zealand, instead of trying to manage the day-to-day operations of the public service.”
“Though flexible hours and working from home options vary across organisations, it’s understood that people are more productive and happier with flexible arrangements. In a cost-of-living crisis it also reduces the financial and environmental impact of transport and parking. This is an operational matter, one the minister shouldn’t be involved in.” Wagstaff said.
“Working from home practices have benefited from new technology, making it easier to connect remotely. The advent of COVID speed up the adoption of these tools and practices, demonstrating value to employers and employees alike.”
“Employers offering a hybrid model of working from home for part of the week has become very attractive for some workplaces, both in terms of convenience and productivity.”
“It’s crucial that the public service offers good work that attracts and retains the workers we need. This decision will just make that goal much harder in an already difficult environment.”
“Despite the Government doing its best to portray itself as modern, innovative thinkers, this decree demonstrates that in reality they don’t understand the value of a modern, positive, high-trust workplace culture. Micromanaging and stopping staff from working some of their time at home is all about an old-fashioned command and control mentality.”
“The Minister of Finance is fooling herself if she thinks forcing people to stop working from home will correct the damage done to the economy by the massive job cuts.” Wagstaff said.
“Public servants only have so much money to spend. Now they will have to spend more on public transport and less on their local communities. It is a zero-sum game,” said Wagstaff.
We have updated our guidance on the requirements for vetting workers at limited-attendance child-care centres.
The new Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Act 2024 means updates have been made to the Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 (Regulation 51).
A key point is that Police vetting must be completed for non-teaching and unregistered employees at unlicensed child-care centres before the person begins work. This vetting must be used to assess any risks to the safety of children.
What are limited-attendance child-care centres?
These are any premises that are:
used regularly for the care of three or more children under six years old (not including the children of the persons providing the care) and
where the children do not stay for more than two hours per day and
where the children’s parents or caregivers are in close proximity to the children, and are able to be contacted and resume responsibility for the children at short notice.
For example, a crèche at a gym or shopping mall.
It does not include being provided with care before or after school.
