Mega-tech staff anxious over future

Employee anxiety at Te Pū kenga’s 27 subsidiaries is reportedly ‘‘sky high’’, with no guarantee they’ll have a course to teach or a job when the new mega-polytech launches in less than four months.

Consultation with staff from the 16 polytech and 11 industry training organisations that will sit under the new umbrella entity is due to begin on Monday, but their futures hang in the balance in the meantime.

Initial optimism about the potential benefits of the merger was replaced by deflation, Tertiary Education Union national women’s vice-president Jael Reiri said, after a virtual all-staff hui led by acting Peter Winder late last month.

Numerous questions from some of the 2500 attendees went unanswered by Winder, including several around employment, Te Pū kenga’s tenuous financial position and lack of clarity around chief executive Stephen Town’s future at the mega-polytech, Reiri said.

Town has been collecting up to $13,000 a week since being granted personal leave several weeks ago, despite board chairman Murray Strong telling the education and workforce select committee last Wednesday that Town was unlikely to be returning to the role this year.

‘‘It’s pretty deflating, to be honest. These are people’s lives and livelihoods. They’ve got families to take care of. It’s a big worry,’’ Reiri said. ‘‘There was a lot of upset.’’

Reiri, a lecturer and Kaitiaki Mā ori at Eastern Institute of Technology’s School of Nursing, said there had been ‘‘significant numbers of resignations’’ within her department.

Because those who left weren’t being replaced and with each subsidiary being asked to find around 3% in cost savings by year’s end, pressure on those remaining was ratcheting up.

Te Pū kenga is also facing a financial crisis, staring down a projected $110 million deficit – $53m more than budgeted. Falling enrolments are adding to the list of problems, with recently released data showing one-third of firstyear polytech students quit their studies last year.

Winder said redundancies would be the ‘‘last resort for securing savings’’.

A proposed leadership structure and business groups for Te Pū kenga would be revealed on August 15, he said.

‘‘It’s pretty deflating, to be honest. These are people’s lives and livelihoods.’’

Jael Reiri

Tertiary Education Union national women’s vice-president