The Public Service Association is warning the government that it risks losing skilled and experienced workers needed to run Auckland's new 'super city'. The PSA has 2700 members working for Auckland's eight local authorities and council controlled organisations such as Manukau Water.

Their views are expressed in the union's submission being presented this morning to the Auckland governance legislation select committee. The committee is reviewing the legislation establishing the single Auckland Council.

"We're concerned workers with the skills and knowledge needed to run Auckland's new city will be lost because of problems with the legislation creating the city," says PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff "A major problem is that sections of the legislation dealing with the transfer of staff from existing councils to the new council are complex, cumbersome and scattered throughout the Bill."

"We strongly recommend that all these sections are consolidated into one section of the legislation."

"If this doesn't happen we believe mistakes could be made in the transfer of staff to the single council and we won't retain workers needed to provide vital services to 1.4 million Aucklanders."

The government also needs to fix a serious error in its legislation that enables the Auckland Transition Agency or the chief executive of the single Auckland Council to change the pay and conditions of a local government worker without their agreement.

"This means a local government worker in Auckland could have the terms of their job changed without their agreement and if they didn't like the changes they could be made redundant," says Richard Wagstaff.

"This contradicts the Cabinet decision released in December that said workers transferred to the new Auckland Council would have their working conditions protected," says Richard Wagstaff.

The Cabinet decision, released by Local Government Minister Rodney Hide on December 3, stated: "Staff transferring to the Auckland Council need to have their existing working conditions protected as far as possible so they are the same on day one of the new council as they were on the last day of the old."

Mr Hide has given the PSA an assurance that this error in the legislation will be fixed.

"We expect the Minister and the government to honour that promise," says Richard Wagstaff.

"We expect that the legislation to be changed to ensure that local government workers transferred to the new Auckland Council will retain their current pay and conditions."

"Creating the new single city in Auckland is causing a great deal of stress and uncertainty for Auckland's local government workforce."

"They provide vital services to the Auckland region. The government must ensure those services are maintained by ensuring the workers who provide them are not lost," says Richard Wagstaff.

PSA submission presentation 9.30am Wednesday March 3 Quality Hotel Barrycourt 10 to 20 Gladstone Rd Parnell, Auckland