Photo: RNZ
The government's budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders, a union is warning.
The Public Service Association has released its latest survey of over 4000 workers in public services, health, the state sector, local government and community services.
The survey, done in December 2024, showed that nine in 10 respondents had been affected by restructuring in the past year.
More than 40 percent said they regularly worked longer hours without being paid for it, and more than 70 percent responded to work calls and messages outside of work hours.
Over 50 percent of respondents had varying degrees of concern about losing their jobs.
The budget cuts had put public services under significant pressure and many workers were concerned they are were not able to adequately perform their role, PSA national secretary Duane Leo said.
"A key thing for us as a result of the survey is, you can't be more efficient if you don't have the resources to do the work, and if the government really wanted efficiencies and effectiveness, it would start by properly resourcing the public service and also give them clear leadership and direction,
"That's not happening from the government at the moment."
Read more: How many public sector roles are going, and from where?
The impact of the cuts on staff and the services had demonstrated that the distinction between "frontline" and "backline" services made no sense, Leo said.
"They're all needed to make services useful and they're undermining that, effectively the government is taking away resources from the public service that are actually providing essential services to children and families."
It was very concerning that current indications from the government were that there would be similar changes this year, he said.
"You've got a public service at the moment that's scrambling to cover things, and you've got a public service at the moment that continues to be defunded, and continues to lose resourcing and is still expected to basically provide essential services to New Zealanders."
Services that vulnerable New Zealanders relied on would be under threat, or would be compromised if the cuts continued this year, Leo said.
Both Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Minister for the Public Service Judith Collins declined to comment.
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