Customs and Internal Affairs look to cut more than 100 roles
More than 100 roles are set to be cut from the New Zealand Customs Service and Department of Internal Affairs in the latest sweep of public sector cutback announcements.
The Public Service Association (PSA), the union representing public servants, states 79 roles are proposed to go from Customs, with 41 on the chopping block at the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA); a number of the roles are called “critical” and “frontline” by the PSA.
According to the union, which gets consulted on the proposals, 11 staff at the DIA’s Digital Safety Group will go, including investigation and advisory roles in child exploitation and countering violent extremism.
The DIA’s proposal would also see the anti-money laundering group slashed from 51 people to 30, with 24 roles set to be disestablished and three to be created for investigations.
The union describes the roles set to be chopped as being under a team supervising more than 5000 financial institutions, including casinos, law firms, accountants and land agents.
The Auckland team would lose six staff; Wellington proposed to lose four, with several other jobs in the firing line in service design and practice.
The DIA’s strategy and capability group is proposed to go entirely.
A DIA spokesperson said it advised staff 78 roles are proposed to be disestablished and 19 new positions created. One will be fixed term in the regulation and policy branch. Of the positions to be disestablished, 42 are vacant at present.
“This is part of our response to the
Government’s ongoing Fiscal Sustainability Programme to embed a culture of responsible spending across government. We are required to save 6.5 per cent of our baseline,” the spokesperson said.
Further details on impacts to specific branches of the DIA are due to be announced in mid-May.
Job cuts at Customs include a plan to remove 22 roles from the trade, revenue, and compliance service delivery team — most of which in Auckland and Christchurch.
This proposal would see 11 out of 15 roles in the assurance team slashed, with the Christchurch assurance group disestablished in its entirety.
Twelve jobs in border operations at Customs are on the line — six in Auckland, five in Christchurch and one in Wellington.
Seven jobs under “operations, intelligence, investigations, and enforcement” are said to be on the line, including the chief Customs officer and two out of three detectordog training positions in Auckland.
Five roles dealing with maritime Customs operations would be cut, one each from Auckland, Whangā rei, Gisborne, Timaru and Invercargill.
Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said the cuts would affect some of the country’s “most important work”, including stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism, along with frontline defences at ports and airports.
“It includes staff in the child exploitation team, as well as roles combating violent extremism and money laundering at the Department of Internal Affairs.”
Hipkins said the Customs cuts showed “an appalling lack of judgment” by the Government, which had earlier claimed it would crack down on the tobacco black market.
However, a Customs spokesperson said: “None of the positions under consideration would impact Customs’ ability to deliver frontline border services and critical support.”
Customs Minister Casey Costello said: “I appreciate that this process can be difficult for affected staff.
“Customs needs to be able to work effectively, deliver the frontline border services that protect the country, and to support New Zealand’s trade and revenue collection. That’s why the proposals also see changes to organisational structures and new roles being created.”
The announcements come on the back of 33 Customs staff accepting voluntary redundancy or early retirement in recent months.
In a statement to NZME yesterday, a Customs spokesperson said the agency is now in consultation with staff over proposed organisational changes to meet required cost savings and future cost pressures.
“None of the positions under consideration would impact Customs’ ability to deliver frontline border services and critical support.”
Customs said it aims to have this consultation and final decision process completed by the end of May.
We are required to save 6.5 per cent of our baseline. Internal Affairs spokesperson