More than 1,300 PSA members working at the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) are set to strike for two hours on Monday 13 July in support of their claim for a pay offer that keeps pace with the cost of living.
“The workers voted overwhelmingly to take strike action – after months of bargaining, DIA has failed to table an offer that gives its workers enough to live on” said National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi, Duane Leo.
DIA workers include those who process passports and documents recording births, deaths, marriages and citizenship, National Library and Archives staff, gambling and anti-money laundering regulators, staff working on digital safety, child exploitation prevention, and violent extremism prevention, as well as community operations and emergency management roles.
The largest group are Life and Identity Services Officers (processing passports, births, deaths, marriages, citizenship, and more), most of whom earn around $65,000 a year.
DIA’s offer to PSA members is an increase of $700 to the midpoint of each band. Excluding increased pay from annual step progression, this is a rise of around 0.8% on average for all members, well below the increase in the cost of living.
“The Government talks about helping New Zealanders during the cost-of-living crisis, but when it comes to the workers on its payroll, it doesn’t care about them doing it tough,” said Mr Leo.
The PSA has offered to compromise, including proposals around hours of work and a shorter-term agreement, but DIA has not accepted these approaches, he said. The union is seeking an increase of $2,000 to the midpoint of each band – an average increase of approximately 2.3%.
“These workers are going on strike as a last resort. They are patient people who have tried to reach a fair deal, but there is a limit to patience when your pay keeps going backwards and your concerns fall on deaf ears,” said Mr Leo.
DIA union members will strike from 11am to 1pm on 13 July.
