Chairwoman won't attend museum meeting

Margaret Collins
Margaret Collins
Otago Museum board chairwoman Margaret Collins, of Balclutha, says she will not attend a meeting with the Public Service Association about its claim museum staff have been intimidated by management.

Ms Collins said yesterday she was not free to attend the meeting scheduled for July 31.

The PSA made the claim three weeks ago.

Ms Collins pointed out the PSA had only six members at the museum.

"I'm not concerned about the PSA's comments. I don't have a great deal of confidence in their behaviour. But one can't ignore it and we will certainly have that meeting and then talk it through."

Ms Collins said she was likely to raise the matter in her report to the board's two-monthly meeting on August 18.

"It is distressing because it is wasting so much of our time. We've got lots more important things to be spending our time on and it has taken a significant amount of time. But that's OK. One has to deal with these things."

Ms Collins reaffirmed her support for director Shimrath Paul and the management culture at the museum.

"I still have every confidence. Certainly, I accept that the hours they work at the museum are quite unlike other places. But they do it so cheerfully. I've been there myself and witnessed it . . .

"I'm still perfectly confident that we're running a good ship there and we're getting wonderful results but not under duress - we're getting those results because people are committed to doing their very best for the museum."

She had no sympathy for those who had left the museum and were now complaining.

"Clearly, if they feel like that about the museum, it's just as well they are not working for us still because we don't want any deadwood."

- mark.price@odt.co.nz

 

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