25 Apr 2012

Union has reservations about super-ministry structure

12:32 pm on 25 April 2012

A union representing government employees says it doesn't see the logic in the formation of a new super Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

The ministry will take over the functions of the Ministries of Economic Development, and Science and Innovation, and the Departments of Labour and of Building and Housing from July.

The Economic Development Minister, Stephen Joyce, says there will be up to 130 job losses as a result of the merger.

The Public Service Association national secretary, Brenda Pilott, says it has problems with the new agency's functions.

She says the Labour Department has been a stand-alone department for 120 years and there are well-publicised concerns about it being moved into the new entity.

Ms Pilott says the union does not understand the logic of attaching the Department of Building and Housing to the new entity either.

The union will be doing as much as it can to save jobs from being lost because of the merger, she says.