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Auckland Council’s chief executive says staff cuts from the mayor’s budget proposal are more likely to fall on frontline workers than higher salary earners.
At the Governing Body meeting on May 23, chief executive Jim Stabback said council’s latest reduction of 160 full time employees would have long term savings benefits.
“We have been really diligent in our recruiting practices and not filling roles that have been becoming vacant, especially non-customer facing roles,” Stabback said.
Cr Angela Dalton asked for an estimate of salary for those that had lost their job at council so far.
“Maybe you could tell me if they were closer to the lowest earners?” Dalton asked.
Stabback said the salaries of those who had lost their jobs were mixed but council was more frequently replacing frontline workers.
He went on to say that the next round of job cuts, if Mayor Wayne Brown’s Annual Budget 2023/2024 proposal is approved, would more likely be lower salary earners.
“It is more than likely that the people who will be losing their jobs will be on the lower salary bands,” he said.
Cr Dalton asked whether those cuts could impact Māori and Pasifika workers at council more significantly but Stabback said it was still too early to tell the impacts on different groups.
Cr Julie Fairey said the details in staff cuts would be important for councillors when making their decisions on the budget.
“We do have certain obligations in terms of being a rainbow tick employer and things like joining Age Friendly Cities,” Cr Fairey said.
She was also interested in knowing how many women and part time employers could be impacted in the budget proposal.
“I think a lot of our community are not expecting frontline cuts, they are expecting back- office cuts.”
Councillors were due to make their final budget decisions on June 8, after this paper went to print, and the budget is expected to be adopted by June 29.
