The State Services Commissioner is overstepping his role in the tertiary education sector. Instead of carrying out his role of being consulted, he is exercising a power of veto over proposed tertiary education sector settlements that have been negotiated in good faith, according to Tertiary Education Union national secretary Sharn Riggs.

Ms Riggs has written to the State Services Commissioner outlining her concerns that the commission is acting beyond its statutory powers as outlined in section 74 of the State Sector Act and probably also falls foul of the good faith bargaining requirements contained in the Employment Relations Act.

“The TEU is engaged in bargaining at the moment in all parts of the tertiary education sector: universities, ITPs and wānanga. Our advocates are struggling to conclude proposed settlements of collective agreements which have been negotiated in good faith. The problems they are encountering seem to be a direct result of the SSC’s intervention in the collective bargaining process.”

“Clearly, from our point of view, the SSC’s unprecedented involvement in our negotiations needs to stop. We seek an immediate undertaking from the SSC that it will cease all involvement in our bargaining other than that to which it is statutorily entitled,” said Ms Riggs.