REVEALED: Ministry Of Education Union Staff Paid With Taxpayer Time

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act requestthat staff at the Ministry of Education were paid $414,119.68 by taxpayers to do 8,528 hours of union work.

This includes organising and advocating on behalf of the New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa (NZEI), the Public Service Association (PSA) and the Association of Professional and Executive Employees (APEX).

The response shows under current agreements that:

• NZEI staff are entitled to two hours per week of union work for 12 staff, equalling 1,248 hours per year or an estimated $60,602.88 of paid work.
• PSA staff are entitled to two full time co-convenors and a minimum of 5 hours per week for 12 National Delegates, equalling staff time of 7,280 hours per year or an estimated $353,516.80 of paid work.
• The Ministry of Education has also confirmed that PSA co-convenors are provided with free office space within Ministry buildings and the 7 APEX delegates are entitled to "support to fulfil their role."

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“This is a rort. Taxpayers are paying government employees to organise against the very system that employs them.”

“Ministry staff were paid to help coordinate strikes that last year left kids out of the classroom and parents forced to fund childcare. Minister Seymour has already announced that union strikes tanked school attendance last year."

“If a private company wouldn't pay staff to protest against itself, then why are taxpayers footing the bill for the Ministry to do so?"

"Somehow, when it’s done on the taxpayer’s dime, it’s seen as business as usual. Union work should be funded by union members, not by the public.”