More voluntary redundancies

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has accepted another 59 applications for voluntary redundancies, bringing its total drop in roles to more than 341 full-time positions.

Deputy secretary Richard Griffiths said that number included “the removal of vacant positions, offering two limited voluntary redundancy processes, implementing stopwork notices, legislation repeal and initiating a range of consultation and change processes”.

The first round of voluntary redundancies had 111 applications accepted, which was 104 fulltime-equivalent positions. MBIE then opened up voluntary redundancies to groups not included the first time around. Last week, MBIE accepted 59 applications, which was 55.4 fulltime-equivalent positions.

Griffiths said while restructures were still active at MBIE, “our focus is on supporting our people impacted by these processes”.

Stuff understands further changes for MBIE were signed off by senior leadership, meaning some areas of work and programmes have already or will be stopped.

It follows a series of reductions and proposed reductions, the Ministry of Education looking to reduce its workforce by 755 – 190 more than it proposed in April.

Kāinga Ora proposed to cut 130 roles and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development was proposing a 10.4% workforce reduction, which would cut 30 jobs and an additional 10 vacant roles.

Meanwhile, Stats NZ opened up voluntary redundancies to staff. It follows 29 job losses in December. Earlier, Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Māori Development, proposed an 8% reduction with 38 roles to be disestablished.