Chief Ombudsman John Allen says his Office is “surprised and disappointed” with a Public Service Association (PSA) media statement regarding future staffing arrangements, saying it contained a number of inaccuracies and was misrepresentative of the Office’s current process.
On Friday, the PSA called for mediation, saying the Office was in breach of its collective agreement which requires it “to negotiate with the external contractor to attempt to have affected employees continue on the same or similar terms and conditions of employment”.
In a statement, the Ombudsman said the Office was “still in the change process and working with our staff and their PSA representatives”.
“We had offered to meet with PSA leaders this morning to address any issues and clarify any misunderstandings,” said Mr Allen.
“It’s important to make clear that the change centres on retaining an in-house team of five permanent staff, supported by an accountancy partner. This is not about making budget cuts. As an Officer of Parliament, we are not subject to government policy or funding decisions.
“We are intending to introduce specialist expertise to support our in-house team.”
Mr Allen said the Office believed it had conducted discussions with staff and their PSA representatives in good faith.
“We have followed good process during the consultation and have treated our staff fairly and consistently with our obligations under the collective employment agreement.”
“As our process with our staff and their PSA representatives is ongoing, we will not be making any further comment.”
