PSA fail to file Annual Accounts but has time to send 2,526 tweets – Observation by the Owl
As of 31st January 2013 the PSA have failed to file their annual accounts. For such a large organisation this is disappointing. The Annual conference was in September 2012 which meant the AGM accepted the accounts.
Observation by the Owl
PSA leader Brenda Pilott has sent 2,526 tweets (Brenda Pilott @PSAsecretary) and yet can’t find 10 minutes filing annual returns.
Let’s look at workplace productivity.
Let’s say each tweet takes 5 minutes. (Log on, type, review and respond). That is 12,630 minutes or 210.5 hours or 5.263 working days.
A working weeks worth of tweeting – not to mention all the recipients who get interrupted. No wonder we have productivity issues in NZ
Whilst strictly true, The Labour Party currently has six affiliates, all trade unions (RMTU, MWU, DWU, EPMU, MUNZ, SFWU) and the PSA isn’t one of them they are associates and fellow travellers, even helping with Labour’s asset sales referendum:
40,000 Jobs lost says EMPU and Greens – Observation by the Owl
EMPU Bill Newson and Greens Co-Leader Mr Norman have been quoting 40,000 job losses in manufacturing since 2008 over the weekend.
Brenda Pilott from the PSA tweeted recently that the National Government has cut 5,000 jobs in central government.
Observation by the Owl
Department of Labour figures show:
Union membership for Manufacturing has decreased 14,579 from 2008 (65,025) to 2012 (50,446).
The PSA Union membership increased 3,003 from 2008 (55,333) to 2012 (58,336).
General Public Service numbers (combining Education, Health and Govt Administration Services and Defence) have increased in membership from 203,999 to 241,202 (up 37,203).
The Owl doesn’t like job losses as much as anyone else but I would greatly appreciate if someone from the EPMU, Greens or PSA could send a detailed list of the 40,000 losses by company and where the 5,000 government jobs were cut from?
Separating any losses from Christchurch should also be done – this is a unique statistic which over time will recover.
So I thought I would do some research. Brenda Pilott is from the UK and was a Librarian before working for the PSA.
She is a Director of Learning State Limited
She is a Board/Council Member of University of Victoria (Wellington)
Her position at University of Victoria comes about because the NZ Council of Trade Unions gets to appoint a member on the Board – I have checked the other Universities and they don’t seem to have the same seconded position on their Board.
Learning State Limited is a joint partnership company involving the Government/Ministry.
Her Director Fees were $12,000.00 (as per the annual report)
Her Fees from the University was $2,240.00 (as per the annual report)
Brenda Pilott only went to 7 of the 12 University meetings for the year (58%) – the bottom of the attendees 2011 – In 2010 she only went to 9.
Owl’s Observation
The tweet doesn’t make sense – she is on two taxpayer funded organisations, picks up fees for her services and was appointed to the University by recommendation and not by vote.
How can people on one hand sit on Boards which are making extremely good bottom-lines and tweet that National is cutting costs all over the place. The PSA makes six figure profits and still increases their fees on the rank and file. I cannot see how a Unionist who represents strong political views (refer PSA website) can hold such positions as it looks like a major conflict of interest.
Normally I would not care but surely “tweeting” about your bosses just doesn’t make sense to me. I am sure there is some very strong employment LAW about this?
On Twitter late at night when I was trying to distract myself from the events of yesterday Brenda Pilott sent me this tweet in response to a conversation about the extreme unlikelihood that Cactus Kate would ever work for a union:
Well @cactuskate2 perhaps you should consult your pal @Whaleoil about that. I understand he has some fanciful ideas about union finances!
Coincidentally when I checked my email was an analysis of the PSA’s financials by the redoubtable Owl.
Public Service Association – Members should ask for a discount on Union Fees (Observation by the Owl)
The PSA Members should ask for a discount on Fees.
I am amazed to read in their 2011 Financial Reports and Reports that they had to increase union fees to members because (paraphrased by the Owl for simplicity but from their Reports)
Increases to GST
Increases in Business costs
Ensure sound financial balance sheet
Members should note:
There were two major increases – Wages by $500k (no GST there!)
The second increase was $2.2M spent on travel and meetings yet they spent $400k on new IT projects including video linking all their site and upgrading all mobile phones for 131 staff (up two from the previous year – yet travel and meeting increased $200k)
Their Balance Sheet is valued at $25M with $6M in holiday homes and made an operating surplus of over a $1M (excluding tax and depreciation)
The PSA have a number of staff on contracts doing project work – yet they are criticizing the number of consultants being used in the Public Service (Have I read this wrong?)
Observation by the Owl
The PSA earns a 6% -8% return on investment (depends how you calculate it could be higher %) therefore members should be reaping the benefits of their investment in IT and a $1M surplus is excessively high for an Incorporated Society.
My calculations are that each member should get a $100.00 discount from 2013 onwards.
Prime Minister John Key has refused a request by the Public Service Association for an urgent meeting to discuss his plans for the state sector.
Earlier this month Mr Key signalled more mergers and job losses as the Government continues its goal of slashing $1billion from the public service.
The Government is looking at how technology such as smart phones can be used to replace over-the-counter contact and how savings can be made through further sharing of back-office functions such as human resources.
Mr Key plans to outline the Government’s proposals in a speech next month and has warned he will “make no apology” for trying to make the state sector more efficient.
The PSA sent Mr Key a letter last week asking to discuss urgently changes to the public service.
National secretary Brenda Pilott said the PSA had been told Mr Key could not meet the union due to time pressures and referred it to new State Services Minister Jonathan Coleman.
“We are disappointed he is not prepared to meet with us.
“This is a strategy the prime minister has fronted up on … but he is not able to make the time to brief one of the key stakeholders about it,” Ms Pilott said.
The PSA are the enemy. So pissing them off is a good move.
Mr Goff disputes the accuracy of a report signed off by Dr Tucker showing that he briefed the Opposition leader on an investigation into whether Israeli backpackers who fled after the February 22 Christchurch earthquake might be spies.
Public Service Association national secretary Brenda Pilott said using public servants to score political points was “ill-advised”, especially in an election year.
“Public servants are required to keep their politics out of their job and their job out of politics. That means they cannot respond publicly to criticism or become embroiled in political rows.”
One of Labour’s major funders, the PSA is now outraged by Goff’s inept handling of this affair.
Labour, remember, has a history of attacking the integrity of civil servants to suit their political goals. They have form:
Treasury – advice to cut taxes dismissed as “ideological burp” but then in 2008 when facing electoral oblivion Helen Clark said government had not considered tax cuts til then because never had any advice from Treasury that it was possible.
MSD speechwriters: Ruth Dyson claimed that she never delivered the “triples” speech, because often the speeches that were written for her weren’t up to scratch
Kevin Brady, Auditor General, for his finding regarding the pledge card
Human Rights Commission when they criticised the Electoral Finance Act
Mark Prebble who carried the can for Helen Clark during the Corngate storm in the 2002 election campaign when she promised full disclosure of documents because her government had nothing to hide but it became apparent that a key memo had been withheld.
Te Puni Kokiri blamed by Trevor Mallard and Helen Clark for not providing good advice to Parekura Horomia (when Parekura Horomia was unable to answer questions about Te Mangai Paho in the House ”the Minister is sitting at the top of an advice structure which has served him very, very badly”
Are you getting the picture here. When painted into a corner, Labour’s only tactic is to blame civil servants.
Phil Goff is now in the same position. He is calling the head of the SIS a liar and if he isn’t doing that then he is calling him incompetent. The reality is that it is Phil Goff who is the liar and who is incompetent.
Phil Goff’s position is untenable, unsustainable and he must resign.
Call for Matariki public holiday – Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey is calling for a new public holiday in July. He wants it to mark Matariki, or Maori New Year, celebrations. “I think we need a mid-winter fun event and this of course is in the Maori calendar but it’s… [NZ Herald Politics]
Don’t be so bloody ridiculous.
Bob Harvey is an idiot only out-shone in idiocy by his fool counterpart from the North Shore. Their utterances are becoming more and more farcical the closer to unemployment they become.
Dear readers, don’t fall for the claptrap that the Mayors who are opposed to the government’s supercity plans are holier than thou defenders of democracy.
We already know about Andrew Williams’ shouting and abuse in council meetings, but while that’s indicative of a personal problem, it’s not necessarily a hypocritical action in itself.
But what about crusty old “Browneye” Bob Harvey?
Nowadays, Harvey sells himself as the great hero of the Auckland region – the great Gandhi of Auckland democracy who is prepared to wage war on the government, wants to sue the government to stop them, and is describing government plans for local boards as nonsense.
Yet, Bob Harvey’s own record on supercity amalgamations in the past have been anything but democratic.
In 2006, Harvey conspired in secret with Dick Hubbard, George Wood of North Shore, and Sir Barry Curtis to launch a smash and grab operation on the ARC and divide up the assets therein.
The plan was so poorly planned and thought through that Harvey and co wanted to suspend the right for Aucklanders to vote for a year or two until his new plans could be bedded in.
Then, Harvey argued against a referendum on his plans because he said “it would slow the process down”, and even said it would “create uncertainty and could potentially derail the process”
Bob Harvey was so consumed with his importance in the Auckland region that he invited Michael Cullen to appoint him as the Auckland ambassador to Wellington. God be praised Cullen never got around to that!
So back in 2006, Bob Harvey was prepared to steal your right to vote in order to implement his plans for Auckland. Now, he’s claiming to be some kind of regional Gandhi….
…I’ll let you, oh dear reader, to decide for yourself the kind of politician old Browneye Bob really is.
Due diligence on Super City agency frontrunner – Mark Ford, chief executive of the region’s water wholesaler Watercare Services, is the frontrunner to chair the agency to design Auckland’s Super City. The appointment of the five-member Auckland Transition Agency was put on hold… [NZ Herald Politics]
There are some questions being raised about the suitability of Mark Ford to head up the transition team for the Super City.
Firstly there is the conflict of interest issue with being the head of Watercare, which is likely to take over the other water providers in the Super City then there are some other intriguing questions about this man and some of his business practices and connections.
You may have also seen that Bob Harvey has come out in support of Mark Ford in recent days, basically saying he is a good man for the job. Well someone ought to ask Mr Harvey; and Watercare;
Why it is that in about the year 2000 Watercare bought several hundred books written by Mr Harvey?
What did they do with those books?
Are they still sitting in boxes in the company’s basement?
And did Watercare buy any of Mr Harvey’s books in the past 5 years?
Yes there appears to be further intriguing questions that one may want to ask Mr Ford. This blog will keep you posted.
