What we know so far about the public sector savings and proposed job cuts - The Front Page

Public sector workers are the most pessimistic about their job security since 2006. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Thousands of jobs are set to go as Government ministries and agencies try to find savings.

They’re on a mission to cut spending by 6.5 to 7.5 per cent before the coalition Government’s first Budget next month - with Finance Minister Nicola Willis asking all departments to cut back to “restore discipline” to taxpayer spending.

For some agencies, cutting costs means cutting public sector jobs – a number already at about a thousand roles, give or take.

Prime Minister Chris Luxon told Newstalk ZB that voluntary redundancies, job losses, and attrition are all pieces of the puzzle, alongside scaling back spending on contractors and consultants.

Newstalk ZB reporter Azaria Howell told The Front Page it’s all part of finding $1.5 billion in savings annually.

“Nicola Willis has previously confirmed in a parliamentary select committee that some agencies may see more and some may have less. But, no agency is immune or exempt from having a look at what can be trimmed.

“The Public Service Association has said even though we can say that the frontline is immune, we are effectively cutting the engine room to the frontline. That being the back office, the people that file reports, the people that do emails and meet with people,” she said.

So, what do we know so far about the backroom jobs being cut within the public sector?

• Up to 90 jobs may be cut at Niwa. The proposed cut amounts to more than one in 10 staff - about 13 per cent of its workforce
• Around 30 jobs may be impacted by a Callaghan Innovation restructure
• The Ministry of Health is proposing to slash 134 roles. The ministry confirmed the proposal would disestablish 271 roles and propose a restructured new 137 roles.
• The Treasury is proposing to axe 50 roles to meet the Government’s demands to cut costs.
• Workers at the Ministry for the Environment have been told redundancies are “likely” - with a voluntary redundancy scheme opened
• A voluntary redundancy scheme at the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment saw 111 people accepted for voluntary redundancy, with a further voluntary redundancy scheme being put in place
• Proposals at the Ministry for Primary Industries suggest there could be a cut of 384 roles at MPI
• There has been a net reduction of 24 jobs at the Ministry of Transport, though many were not filled

Listen to the full episode to hear more about the challenges facing our public sector as departments race to cut spending.

The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.

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