1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Good afternoon. About one hundred thousand teachers, doctors, nurses, dentists 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:06,600 Speaker 1: and social workers are going on strike tomorrow. Unions have 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: had to call off their allies in Wellington and the 4 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:10,640 Speaker 1: South Island because of the bad weather that's been forecast 5 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: for tomorrow and at Albert Mills. Poll out today suggests 6 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: sixty five percent of key we support the mega strike, 7 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: twenty five don't. In the twenty five percent don't and 8 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: the rest don't care. Sir Brian Roach is the Public 9 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: Service Commissioner. 10 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:23,920 Speaker 2: Hi, Brian, good after thing. 11 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 1: Are you still negotiating down to the last minute to 12 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: try to call the strike off. 13 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 2: No, we haven't been able to negotiate for the best 14 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 2: part of the last two weeks because we reached the 15 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 2: decision after the outcome of the PPTA engagement that we 16 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 2: weren't ever going to be able to reach an agreement 17 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 2: before the strike happened. People need to get it out 18 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 2: of their system and then get back to the table. 19 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:47,279 Speaker 1: What do you mean people have to get it out 20 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: of their system. 21 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 2: It just seems to me, based on my engagement with 22 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 2: the unions, that they had to do this for reasons 23 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 2: that escaped me. I think it was all avoidable. It's 24 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 2: extremely regrettable. We remain available and this is all a 25 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 2: matter of public record. We offered to work all weekend 26 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 2: all of those things. They were rejected, So there was 27 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 2: just no point to mislead anyone to think we were 28 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,479 Speaker 2: going to get anything done before the strike. The one 29 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 2: ray of hope is one of the smaller unions who 30 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 2: turned up. They were appropriately mandated. We did a deal 31 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 2: and it's been agreed by their members. They've now got 32 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 2: cash in their pockets moving on and that's the way 33 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 2: we need to Those are the principles, right, correct, Yeap. 34 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: Are you surprised by the poll out today that suggests 35 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 1: that two thirds of Keywis actually support the mega strike? 36 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,919 Speaker 2: I do, But there's a really wide range of views 37 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 2: about the meritsis strikes. I mean, those are all very personal. 38 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 2: My job is to find a way through a bargaining round, 39 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,559 Speaker 2: which is really challenging. I remained really committed to doing 40 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 2: that as as my team. 41 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: What do you think about the suggestion of changing the 42 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: law in order to prevent some of the essential workers 43 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: like healthwork, from being able to do a strike like this. 44 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 2: Look, that's ultimately a matter for the politicians. I think 45 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 2: there is precedent for that overseas, but you know, as 46 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 2: I understand it, that's not something that's currently occupying the 47 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 2: minds of many in a political sense. 48 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: Are you still running those Facebook ads about the strike. 49 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 2: We have as it today? And you know, once again 50 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:23,839 Speaker 2: the background to that is to make sure we use 51 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 2: all available channels to get our message out because our 52 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 2: message has been contorted and I think manipulated by various 53 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 2: sort of unions. And that's regrettable because we've got a 54 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:37,799 Speaker 2: very clear conscience of the way we've done this. We've 55 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:41,400 Speaker 2: approached it professionally, we continue to be available. There has 56 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 2: not been substantive engagement from our counterparty. 57 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: Brian, you sound really frustrated, are you. 58 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,640 Speaker 2: I'm not overly frustrated. I'm frustrated on behalf of New 59 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 2: Zealand because we could have avoided all of the inconvenience 60 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 2: of tomorrow, and that's on other people's conscience, it is 61 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 2: not on that of the public service. I'm committed to 62 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 2: making sure that we get an outcome. I want that 63 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 2: done on a timely basis and I want to avoid 64 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:08,239 Speaker 2: further disruption. 65 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 1: So what do you think is going to happen once 66 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 1: they get the strike out of their systems. Do you 67 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: think a bunch of these agreements are going to be 68 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:15,359 Speaker 1: wrapped up really quickly. 69 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 2: I don't know, because it requires two people at the table. 70 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 2: At the moment, we've really only substantially had one. And 71 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 2: you know, we have done all the running. We have 72 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,239 Speaker 2: put three offers in front of the PPTA, for instance, 73 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:31,920 Speaker 2: and we have been unable to get them back to 74 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 2: the table despite our offers to work day and night 75 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 2: and weekends. That what's why we made that offer was 76 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 2: to avoid the disruption last week and the disruption tomorrow. 77 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 2: The fact that they chose otherwise and didn't even put 78 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 2: that offer to their members is for them to have 79 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 2: on their conscience. I'm really clear on that, Brian. 80 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: Thank you very much, sir Brian Roach, Public Service Commissioner. 81 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: For more from Heather Duplassy Allen Drive, listen live to 82 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: news talks. They'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 83 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.