Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
The PSA has taken legal proceedings to the Employment Relations Authority against the Ministry of Education over claims its not complying with its collective agreement when making job cuts.
More than 600 jobs are planned to or have got the axe at the ministry after the government asked public service departments to identify savings.
PSA national secretary Duane Leo said the ministry was not complying with its collective agreement requirement that it must do everything it can to find other roles for staff it is laying off.
"This is not an action we have taken lightly and comes after we attended mediation on Thursday which ended with no commitment from the ministry to comply with the collective agreement.
"We have asked the authority to urgently deal with this matter as the livelihoods of hundreds of dedicated public servants are being disrupted by this rushed restructure forced on the ministry by the government's spending cuts."
Leo said there were relevant clear principles in the collective agreement including a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the principles of Kotahitanga, Rangatiratanga, Whanaungatanga, Kaitiakitanga, Manaakitanga, Whakahiato Umanga and Whakamana.
"The collective agreement requires the ministry and the PSA to try and agree the outcomes of cost cutting exercises and then present that view to the management of the ministry.
"This has not been complied with."
The Ministry said in a statement that as the matter was before the Employment Relations Authority it would not be commenting further.
“We will continue to engage in good faith with PSA,” it said.