The Defence Force is proposing a major restructure of its civilian workforce, which could mean a net reduction of 374 roles.
The restructure comes after 144 civilian workers opted for voluntary redundancy last year.
A NZDF spokesperson said in a statement the cuts were to prioritise savings required to stay within its budget while also maintaining “combat readiness and delivering on core military activities”.
“This decision to release a proposal for change is not one that has been made lightly.”
1News approached Defence Minister Judith Collins’ office for comment, who said it was an operational matter for the NZDF.
‘Cutting critical civilian expertise’
Fleur Fitzsimons, national secretary for the PSA, called Prime Minister Christopher Luxon a “hypocrite” over the move.
“He said his Government would spend more on Defence but is now responsible for cutting critical civilian expertise that are critical to ensuring that we have a combat-ready Defence Force,” she said.
The PSA says hundreds of roles could go. (Source: 1News)
She said the current international climate meant the Government needed to invest in all areas of defence, “but we are seeing the opposite with these dangerous and damaging proposed cuts”.
“This is about saving money, not the security of New Zealand. How can the Government talk on one hand about the need to invest more in defence to counter rising international risks and yet allow these cuts? It’s dangerous and makes no sense.
“Defence can’t operate without a well-resourced civilian workforce to maintain IT systems, provide healthcare for military personnel, provide engineering support for military equipment and other critical functions. Civilians are the backbone of our Defence Force.”
Some affected roles include those in logistics, human resources, recruitment, employment relations, workforce strategy, payroll, career services and safety and risk management.
The NZDF spokesperson said the proposal was to disestablish 667 roles — 287 currently vacant and 380 currently filled.
“As part of the proposal, the NZDF is proposing to create 293 new roles. The overall effect is that there will be a net reduction of 374 positions.”
“Should the proposals proceed following consultation, the assessment as of 20 March 2025, is that by the end of this process, there would be a reduction in the overall NZDF civilian staff headcount of around 80 employees.”
The spokesperson said NZDF expected the majority of people affected would be placed into alternative positions within their new structure.
“It’s important to note that this is a consultation process with staff and unions, and no final decisions have been made, including on whether the proposal in whole or part, will be implemented or whether redundancies will be required,” a spokesperson said.
Fitzsimons said cuts to civilian jobs would mean heavier workloads for uniformed staff, worsening the defence force’s retention.
“More skilled uniformed staff will leave, further weakening our frontline civil defence and military capability.”
