USELESS UNION

British public service workers went out on strike last week to protest against cuts in jobs and working conditions. Here in New Zealand, despite the Government axing hundreds of jobs in the public service, the Public Service Association has done exactly nothing to resist the attacks. National Secretary Richard Wagstaff has been waving the white flag of surrender this week...


The strike by public servants in the UK last week was, from all reports, a big success.

Nearly 800,000 workers went out in strike, despite attempts by the Tories and the corporate media to portray the strikers as 'selfish' and a threat to Britain's 'economic future'.

It was strike too that gained wide support from other workers, also under attack from the Con-Lib Government

Here in New Zealand, it's all quiet on the strike front. John Key and co must be overjoyed they are facing zero resistance from union 'leaders' to their savage austerity drive.

The do-nothing bureaucrats of the Public Service Association (PSA) have failed to launch any kind of fight back, despite the fact that hundreds of jobs have already been lost to Government cutbacks.

And more job losses will be on their way with the Government having appointed a group of senior civil servants and external advisers to oversee further 'reforms' to the public service.

This will likely see the disestablishment of five crown entities, three tribunals and the merger of two government agencies, with the loss of a further 900 jobs.

Public servants under threat of taking the long walk to Work and Income can count on no support from their union leaders, other than the usual hollow expressions of 'concern' we inevitable get from these gutless wonders.

In the face of the Government attacks on jobs and working conditions in the public service, the PSA bureaucrats have done nothing but wave the white flag of surrender.

Yesterday it was announced that ten jobs were to go in the Greymouth office of the Inland Revenue. Other regional offices also face job cuts.

The response of Richard Wagstaff, the Public Service Association national secretary, was to throw up his hands in despair and blubber.

He stated the blindingly obvious by declaring the cuts were a 'heavy blow' for the regional tax offices that had been targeted.

Of course we should expect little from a prize clown and Labour Party flunky like Wagstaff given his only 'demand' of Government so far is that the PSA be 'involved in this review process'! Dick wants to help John Key and Bill English put his own PSA members out of work!

Richard Wagstaff and his mates in the PSA head office couldn't punch their way out of a wet paper bag, never mind defend the jobs of the workers who pay their generous salaries.