Council staff restructure problems

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 309, 17 October 1989, Page 3

Council staff restructure problems

The council administration staffing situation in the Waimarino still has a number of people dissatisfied, both on the staff and in the community.

Because of the Local Government reorganisation by the government, which sees the amalgamation of the Waimarino District Council with the two Taumarunui local authorities, a new administration staffing structure was needed. The commission decided there would be a service delivery centre in Ohakune and the Ruapehu District Council decided there would be a combined postal/council agency in Raetihi. This means there are to be three administration jobs where there were six. Contention has arisen over the non-appoint-ment of long-serving council employee Hope Vaughan and postal agency worker Michelle Fredericksen. Hope Vaughan told the Bulletin last week that she wants the whole issue to "blow over" but that she is not happy with the appointment process. She declined to comment to the Bulletin further on the issue. Michelle Fredericksen, who appealed the decision which saw her miss out on the Raetihi position, was prepared to answer questions. Both women said they had not asked Faith Wise, Leigh Ryland or Julia Martin to write the letters to the editor on the subject which have appeared in the Bulletin. Michelle Fredericksen is unhappy with a number of aspects of the issue including the way the job was advertised. She said the job was inadequately advertised as an office/postal clerk, Raetihi. She says the appointment has been made on the basis of council experience whereas 80 to 90 per cent of the work is of a postal service nature. She is unhappy with her job interview, saying it took just ten minutes and she wasn't asked questions she felt would be relevant. Michelle Fredericksen appealed the decision. and a review of the appointment process was carried out. A representative of the employer and a representative of the union re-interviewed the appellant and re-

viewed the appointment. Mrs Fredericksen said she was unhappy that she did not know the union representative who she believed was there to represent her, and that he did not speak to her prior to the meeting. Mrs Fredericksen said she had been working at the Raetihi Agency for five montbs, since it was set up, and for the

Post Office for nine and a half years prior to that. She said she was told there would be a review of her position at this time but that she thought because there was no-one else with her postal experience that she was sure she would get the job. She says she has no dispute with the woman who has been given the job and in fact has been working amicably along side her for some time. She said she did turn down a job in Ohakune to take on the Raetihi

agency work. She said she feels the matter is closed but would like it publicised and, asked what she would like to see happen if possible, she said she would like to see the job re-adver-tised. She said all three staff who have so far missed out on jobs are under a lot of pressure from the public, which she is looking forward to ending. The successful applicant, Bernadette Pue, said her interview was "about ten minutes". All three unsuccessful staff are now waiting to hear what their future is to be. They are to meet with the general manager Cliff Houston this week to discuss their options. Mr Houston told the Bulletin there will be options available to the staff, that they won't be out of work on 1 November. He said however that the options available would "not be easy ones". He said in employing staff for the new council his responsibility is to see that the process is fair and that the best organisation possible is set up to run the new council. In Mrs Fredericksen's case he agreed that the Raetihi job was 80 to 90 per cent postal work but that he was confident the successful applicant would be adequately trained on the job. He said the council has contracted to New Zealand Post to run the agency so the council is responsible for employing staff to run itHe said the only postal service in doubt is the registration of new motor vehicles. Mr Houston said the question had to be asked whether that would cause any major hardship with just one motor vehicle dealer in Raetihi. Asked what his definition of accountability was, Mr Houston said for him he is accountable to the council for the general man-

agement of the council. He said under the Local Government Act 1989 he is the employer, not the council and that the legislation is very clear in that once a council has appointed its chief executive officer the council has no more to do with staff appointments. He said there was nothing wrong with people questioning his decisions but that he does not think the system should be based on public demand or public opinion. He said Mayor Garrick Workman's statement on accountability summed it up: "If (a) service deteriorates or breaks down then the general manager is accountable. He sorts it out very quickly or is taken to task by the council for allowing a situation of that sort to occur". Mr Houston said it seems from the letters to the editor that some people's idea of accountability was that if they did not agree with his decision then he should change it. Asked about Leigh Ryland's allegations that workers refused to work at the Ohakune office because of "the poor working relationship between staff in that office", Mr Houston said he had heard rumours about problems there but has no evidence to belive the rumours are true. He said he could not base his staffing decisions on rumours, that he would have to have specific evidence of problems before he could hs ten to those concems. He said in the appointment of staff to the new Ruapehu Dis-

trict Council he was accountable for making sure the process was carried out properly and with integrity and that he is satisfied that this has been done. He said if the council

feels he has operated the appointments system unreasonably or improperly or used it for improper motives then he would become accountable to the elected council.