Ministry of Social Development set to cut security guards

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Ministry of Social Development is planning to cut the number of security guards at Work and Income offices throughout the country.

Twenty jobs are set to go at 20 offices in regional towns next month – reducing the number of guards at these sites from three to two.

Security guards and unions are blaming cost-cutting and are alarmed at the safety risks the lay-offs pose, following the murders of two Ashburton Work and Income employees in 2014.

The Ministry of Social Development, which employs Allied Security as a contractor, told RNZ the changes aren’t driven by cost-cutting and follow safety upgrades and changes to office lay-out, including bringing outside guards inside.

E tū union said the offices affected are in Alexandra, Balclutha, Cambridge, Dannevirke, Feilding, Foxton, Gore, Greymouth, Marton, Matamata, Ngāruawāhia, Ōtaki, Queenstown, Stratford, Taihape, Te Kūiti, Wainuiomata, Waitara, Waiuku and Westport.

‘The risk is real at any office’ – security guard

Security guard Henare Eynon, who works in Marton, told RNZ he was worried for the safety of Work and Income staff, his colleagues and the public.

“Going from three guards to two guards is a significant change, it’s not just one person less, it’s a 50 percent increase for the remaining two, and the loss of a spare pair of eyes.”

In 2014, Russell John Tully walked into the Ashburton Work and Income offices armed with a shotgun and killed two staff members, Peggy Noble and Leigh Cleveland. Tully was sentenced to life in prison for murder.

Eynon said that could happen again.

“The risk is real at any office – it depends on the person that’s coming in, and what condition the person is in – there are a lot of mental health clients out there that will go off their rockers at times.”

He said while many clients are respectful, he’s dealt with dangerous situations over the past several years as a guard in the lower North Island – including a client threatening to drive into a Work and Income office, and another attempting to come inside with a knife.

One man threatened violence when he was asked to sign in at the front desk, Eynon said, but he talked him out of it.

“He says I’m coming over there to punch you in the f***ing head, and I said come on then, you’re welcome to try, but you’re going to end up in jail if you do that, and I said it calmly.”

Eynon said he’s not taking aim at his employer Allied Security or the Ministry of Social Development staff – but believes the government is behind a decision to cut costs.

Another security guard from the lower North Island, who RNZ has agreed not to name, said even small offices could deal with “nasty” experiences on a monthly basis.

“The vulnerability of the staff is a big concern to me, because once trouble happens, especially in small sites, it’s hard to get away from.”

He disagreed with a recent change to bring guards standing outside inside the offices.

“We have no ability to check people’s intoxication, mental health, level of aggression before they enter the building, and once they’re in, they’re in, and it’s far more difficult to get somebody out of an office, rather than just stop them at the door.”

E tū national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said the government and Allied Security should immediately stop the changes.

She said the Ashburton shooting drove MSD to employ extra security guards, and ensure three were stationed at each office.

“It’s as if everyone involved has forgotten about the tragic events that occurred in Ashburton, or they are willing to risk it happening again to save a few bucks?

“What we don’t know is any rationale for reducing the number of guards – we haven’t seen that – we don’t know whether the employer Allied Security has been provided that information from MSD, but certainly we haven’t seen it.”

Public Service Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimmons said she had requested a full risk assessment from MSD over the changes, but that consultation with MSD workers at offices had so far not happened.

“There is widespread anxiety amongst staff over these changes.

“People come to these MSD offices in times in their lives which are distressing, and too often they take their frustrations out on staff. The security guards are an absolutely critical safety initiative for staff and members of the public,” Fitzsimmons said.

‘Confident’ we’ve responded to Ashburton – MSD

The killings in Ashburton prompted MSD to launch an internal review, and employ an extra 100 security guards at Work and Income centres.

Worksafe brought charges against MSD and in 2016, Judge Jan-Marie Doogue found the ministry had failed to ensure there was no physically unrestricted access to the staff working area.

Ministry of Social Development deputy chief executive for organisational and risk assurance, Melissa Gill, told RNZ MSD had invested $80 million over the last 10 years in a major upgrade to all its sites, including implementing lockdown zones and upgrading security equipment.

She said MSD took the safety of all staff and clients at offices seriously.

“I’m confident that we have responded to the events in Ashburton, we’ve had a concerted programme of work over the past 10 years, we’ve created safer and more secure spaces in our sites, we ensure our staff are well-trained and supported to respond to incidents should they occur.”

She said reducing guard numbers was not due to cost-cutting, but part of a review of security settings including a decision to move guards standing outside, inside.

Gill said MSD’s data had shown a drop in serious incidents being reported, and there would still be between two and five security guards across all 121 Work and Income offices.

She said the agency had done a risk assessment at every office, had “planned and tested” the specific changes over a number of years, and kept the PSA informed.

Gill said bringing the security guards inside was safer for them, and guards could watch for a client’s behaviour from inside offices.

“The guards receive training from Allied on how to observe people’s action as they are approaching an environment, so they are able to monitor that as the person is approaching the site.”

She said if a serious incident occurred, guards and staff were trained to go into lockdowns, and worked closely with the police.

Gill did not rule out further cuts to guards at other sites.

“It would be fair to say this is an ongoing programme of work but I can’t comment on that at the moment because we are still working through the process with our sites and with the PSA.”

Allied Security general manager of operations Chris McDowall said MSD advised the company of a change of operating model for selected sites within the wider contract.

He said Allied supported the changes following a trial in 2025.

“We expect minimal role losses as part of this process and remain focused on the wellbeing of our staff and all those affected by any change process.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand