Further talks between the Invercargill City Council and the Public Service Association will be held today as they seek a truce over the issue of paying employees during Alert Level 3 restrictions.
Following a public-excluded emergency meeting yesterday, the association reported some progress had been made following the council’s plan to reduce pay for employees unable to work fulltime.
PSA National secretary Glenn Barclay said the council agreed to not change the terms and conditions of PSA members without agreement from the union.
He said it was a stressful experience for council employees, but further talks were scheduled with the ICC today.
‘‘We can only represent those who belong to the PSA, so we strongly encourage any council worker concerned about their job security to contact our union and discuss how we can help.’’
Discussions centred on staff working fulltime receiving 100% pay but those working part-time 75% and those unable to work just 50%.
Chief executive Clare Hadley said the council’s negotiations with the PSA were ongoing and she would not comment further.
She said last week the ICC executive leadership team had taken steps to ensure the council could continue to employ all staff, despite not being eligible for the Government’s wage subsidy scheme.
Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt was pleased a resolution regarding consultation with the union over future employment conditions had been reached.
“There was some robust debate at today’s meeting among councillors and we are now satisfied that council is following the correct process regarding staff consultation.”
