The Bioeconomy Science Institute is shedding 134 jobs in the latest blow to the science workforce already gutted by hundreds of jobs losses since the Government began overhauling science and research agencies, the PSA says.

The institute has announced that voluntary redundancies have resulted in 134 staff members agreeing to leave, representing around 6% of its workforce of 2,300.

BSI was formed last July from the merger of AgResearch, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Plant & Food Research and Scion.

“This is just more of the same from a government determined to shed talented people across the public sector regardless of the consequences,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

“BSI was set up to promote innovation in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, aquaculture, biotechnology – how can it do this with a smaller workforce?

“Voluntary redundancy is preferable to forced dismissals but make no mistake, every expert who takes a package and heads overseas is a loss New Zealand will feel for years to come.”

BSI’s downsizing comes on top of three of the agencies (AgResearch, Scion and Landcare) axing 152 roles in an earlier restructure. With the disbanding of Callaghan Innovation and cuts to other Crown Research Institutes, the Government has shed more than 600 scientists and researchers on top of many other experts.

Ms Fitzsimons said the BSI has ignored the repeated warnings from its own Science System Advisory Group, a warning the group made explicit in its final report last October, stating that ‘the lack of adequate investment in science, innovation and technology has played a significant role in our sluggish productivity’.

Source: PSA