ICC revises restructure: 17 jobs out, 17 new
The Invercargill City Council has announced it will disestablish 17 positions and create 17 new ones.
The revised restructure comes after it proposed to cut 20 roles and create 13 new ones in June.
A document provided to The Southland Times outlines the new roles, those to be cut and new reporting lines that were confirmed on June 29.
Among those disestablished are personal assistant to the chief executive and Southland Museum and Art Gallery manager.
However, a new role of project lead museum, arts and culture has been created, along with 16 other various roles within the council.
In the document, chief executive Clare Hadley says the change decision was prepared following 78 submissions to the initial document issued to staff in June.
‘‘That information was hugely valuable in thinking about this proposed change from a range of perspectives, and in addition to identify more specific functions that had not been included in our initial review,’’ Hadley wrote.
It was appropriate to thank each staff member for their participation and feedback, she said.
‘‘After careful consideration, we have decided to proceed with the majority of the changes proposed.
‘‘Five groups will be created, with the names proposed in the change proposal.
‘‘We feel the organisation will be strengthened by combining similar activities and resourcing has been more evenly distributed across the organisation.’’
The transition would take place in the next few months, she said.
Initially proposed in March, the restructure was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic until June when it was announced that 20 jobs would go and 13 new roles would be created.
When asked about the revised restructure, a city council spokesperson said they would not be commenting on staffing matters.
Public Service Association (PSA) national secretary Glenn Barclay said the city council had taken seriously the concerns raised by union members.
‘‘We felt some of what council was proposing would result in unnecessary and harmful cuts to local jobs and community services, and that was made clear both in our official submission as a union, and in the concerns raised by many individual members.’’
The PSA was now in the process of speaking to all members affected to gauge what was happening to them individually and how they felt about it. Problems would be raised directly with the council, Barclay said.