The PSA – the Public Service Association/Te Pukenga Here Tikanga Mahi by its own assessment ‘is a powerful public voice and a key player in New Zealand Politics’, although its antics this week, might have many wondering whether its ship has been high-jacked, and left foundering on the rocks of feminist dogma.

Representing 58,000 workers (70% female) in central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups the PSA’s stated objective is to build a union organisation able to influence the political, economic, industrial and social environments in the interests of the membership of the PSA.

Within the current organisation the PSA operates four formal groups or networks;

(a) PSA Pasefika
(b) Women’s network
(c) PSA Youth network
(d) Out@PSA

Even by this stage you’d be thinking – this is not looking at all male friendly and this of course raises the question as to whether there are men leaving the PSA or not joining, because they do not find it representative and suitable for them as a workplace union.

For those that had any doubts, they were surely dispelled this week when the PSA proudly announced it had commissioned a study on the costs of domestic violence in the workplace – PSA president Mike Tana adding,

“The report was commissioned for use by all NZders and is freely available on our website.”

When pushed for further detail PSA secretary Brenda Pilott went to ground refusing to return emails requesting information about the selection process of the author and the terms of reference for the report.

That’s not sensible; surely Brenda, there is nothing to hide here or was this jack up between the PSA and Suzanne Snively’s media company meant to be accepted without question.

Possibly this deal doesn’t comply with PSA rules, however those involved hadn’t expected to be taken to task on the issue.?

The question of the PSA commissioning a discriminatory report was also raised with Mr Tana who responded by saying,

“This report does not take away from the equally legitimate case for men affected by family violence in NZ, neither is there any intention to discriminate.”

Ok, so will the PSA be commissioning a report on the cost to the workplace through the effects of domestic violence on men anytime soon? No of course not, but when Tana came out with this doozey I realised he’d got a little too close to the feminist hotbed and fried a few neurons;

“My real concern is for the children who are so affected as a result, if this report helps one NZ child affected by family violence then it is well worth supporting. I believe this is also the intention of the PSA in this regard.”

There you have it folks the PSA is not there for the workers it is another agency that, as they say in feminist New Zealand, “is here for the children’.

If that doesn’t make the organisation look small what has certainly dented their claim to being a key player in New Zealand politics is the PSA’s commissioned report being linked to radical feminist and Green MP Jan Logie’s member’s bill which is currently in the ballot box with 72 other bills hoping for a run in the debating chamber.

Surely any credible representative organisation would be dealing with legislation at a party level?

All in all it looks like a messy little feminist-nest venture and of course no one is meant to question these things. Is the PSA doing what it is meant to be doing – supporting workers in the work place?

If you’ve had a bad male-experience at the PSA email [email protected]