Public Service Association (PSA)
The PSA is the only union representing staff in Manaaki Whenua. Our membership at 30 June 2005 was 178, or 44% of staff, significantly less than the membership coverage for six of the other eight CRIs. Union members were represented by 11 elected delegates at four of our eight sites, and supported by PSA Organisers. We appreciate this opportunity to contribute to the 2004/05 report, noting that Manaaki Whenua was the first CRI to incorporate a PSA statement into their Annual Reporting. PSA delegates and members look forward to working closely with our new CEO, Warren Parker, and welcome him to Te Whanau O Manaaki Whenua.
Partnership for Quality (PfQ)
PfQ is the PSA policy of members and management working in partnership in order to enhance the quality of the working environment and the effectiveness of the organisation as a whole. Manaaki Whenua does not have a formal PfQ Agreement with the PSA. However, regular and open meetings between PSA representatives and Manaaki Whenua managers are occurring at most sites. This year we were disappointed that the Manaaki Whenua Board of Directors declined our request for PfQ to be a recruitment criterion for the new CEO, but we do wish to thank Manaaki Whenua management for supporting the membership of Celia Pruden and Craig Ross on the PSA National Science and Environment Committees.
The Science Funding System—Impacts on Staff
Last year we hoped the new Capability Fund and the Outcome Based Investment (OBI) process would help eliminate uncertainties that result in job insecurity. However, some staff are still facing redundancy due to funding changes, some resulting from the OBI process itself. In this restricted and very competitive funding environment, Manaaki Whenua attempts to manage the negative impacts on individual staff in a flexible and considerate manner. Creative solutions are sought and staff are given time to consider their options. In this process human resources staff and managers generally do their best to put into practice the Manaaki Tangata principles.
We endorse Manaaki Whenua’s record in 2004/05 on good employer provisions, such as parental leave, health and safety, influenza vaccinations, melanoma checks, subsidised superannuation, and subsidised student loan repayments. Manaaki Whenua has taken a leading role across the CRIs for some good employer provisions, many negotiated by the PSA and managers in our Collective Employment Agreement talks, and also advanced through our health and safety committees.
However, we are concerned that the staff-satisfaction survey showed that 28% of staff felt they didn’t have enough time to do their job, and that 19% of respondents were experiencing negative stress. We also note that significant numbers of respondents reported concerns with insuffcient funding (26%), no control over funding (20%), job insecurity (19%), and not enough people to do the job (18%), and conclude that these highlight issues need to be addressed.
Remuneration Review
A working group of managers and PSA delegates, in a review of the remuneration system, instigated a trial of a new salary review process that potentially offers increased transparency and equity in salary decision-making. We hope that if some job categories or positions are shown to be under-remunerated, they will be addressed in an open and fair manner. PSA delegates have agreed to new salary benchmarks that will progressively align our science salaries with the general New Zealand job market. Although average science salaries in Manaaki Whenua are higher than the New Zealand science sector as a whole, we endorse the challenge by former Chief Executive Andy Pearce to redress the fact that scientist salaries in New Zealand lag behind the general market.
Manaaki Whenua, Manaaki Tangata, Haere whakamua
Care for the land, Care for the people, Go forward.
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| Celia Pruden | Craig Ross | Stephen Burgham |