The consultation is underway for changes in NZDF’s civil labor force, and RNZ understands a question now about the roles of the team that specializes in preventing and response to sexual offenses.
Photo: RNZ / SAMUEL RILLSTONE
- Employees of the Armed Forces who work to disrupt harmful sexual behavior on their ranks may lose their jobs following a cost cutting exercise for the defense force.
- Within the NZDF, the Sapra team is called “Front Line Specialists” that are hired to prevent and respond to rape, sexual aggression and sexual harassment in the Armed Forces.
- The Sapra team was brought as part of the operation of the operation in 2016.
- The Defense Force will begin a consultation process with its workforce and civil unions, from Thursday, March 20.
The force of defense insists that it remains committed to preventing harmful sexual behavior in its ranks, despite presenting its entire team of advisor to respond to the prevention of sexual aggression (sapra).
It is understood that the team, which was brought as part of an action plan to eliminate inappropriate sexual behavior, was informed last week that they could be redundant after a period of consultation.
A NZDF -party door confirmed that the defense force would be starting a consultation process with employees and unions on “proposals for change in all its civil labor force” from Thursday, March 20.
They said that the defense force “remains committed to preventing harmful sexual behavior and ensuring that NZDF members who experience it, either at work or elsewhere, can seek support within the NZDF.”
Within the NZDF, the Sapra team is called “Front Line Specialists” that are hired to prevent and respond to rape, sexual aggression and sexual harassment in the Armed Forces.
In December, the NZDF was reported that it was struggling with a $ 360 million deficit, despite a year of “austerity” measures, and confirmed that 145 civil officials had accepted voluntary redundancy.
Although no change has been planned for uniform personnel, more cuts were inclined to their civil labor, while trying to remain within their allocated budget.
If the Sapra team is redundant, there are fears that there is no more experience in sexual violence at NZDF.
The measure would also go against a 2023 recommendation from the general auditor’s office that there needed to be a scale of resources and a sapta in all camps or base, after its audit of how effectively the NZDF was implementing its commitment to dealing with and prevent harmful sexual behavior in the armed forces.
Respect for the operation occurred in 2016, in an effort to eliminate inappropriate sexual behaviors, discrimination, harassment and bullying. But an independent 2020 review found that the defense force failed to address harmful behaviors in the four years after the introduction of the action plan.
The NZDF -voice said it could not comment “any specific details … or effects on specific functions” until the consultation documents were disclosed, but said that the team in roles “which will show as proposed affected in the consultation documents” would be notified in advance “as part of the NZDF change protocol”.
“A role that is proposed affected is a role that proposes to be destabilized or altered as it cannot be reasonably considered the same position.
“It is important to note that this is a consultation process with employees and unions, and no final decision has been made, including redundancy.”
‘Cannot afford to go back’
The national secretary of the Public Services Association, Fleur Fitzsimons, said the military still had problems with bullying, sexual assault and harassment and “cannot afford to retreat.”
“The work of preventing sexual aggression in New Zealand’s defense force was innovative and made a difference … respect for the operation must be retained and expanded so that the defense force is genuinely safe and inclusive.
“The respect of the operation is about the prevention of harmful sexual behavior, but also to deal with it properly when it occurs. It is a fundamental and necessary work in our defense force and should be expanded and retained.”
Fitzsimons said the defense force could not deal with more cuts, especially in the current “complex global environment.”
The first -minister needed to “clean” how much financing was available to all the armed forces, he added. Last month, Christopher Luxon promised to spend more in defense, while New Zealand melende to answer the calls, spend two percent of GDP.
“The government needs to deal with money and not cuts, because our defense force is in a complex global security situation and needs to be properly supported, properly supported and funded.”
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