The Public Service Association covers workers in the public service, the state sector, community public services, local government and district health boards.

The PSA does not cover teachers, sworn police, cleaners or orderlies, except some who work for Spotless or are contracted to NZ Defence. We do not cover registered nurses who are general nurses. However, we do cover mental health nurses.

No, a tax-free scholarship is not part of your gross salary.

Members are covered while on parental leave as long as you were a financial member at the time you went on leave.

The process works as follows:

1. You need to notify the PSA when your leave begins and when you expect to return. (Call 0508 367 772 or email enquiries@psa.org.nz .)
2. Your payroll will automatically suspend your fees.
3. There are no fees taken out of the government paid parental leave.
4. Fees are paid on any annual leave taken in conjunction with parental leave.
5. You will need to ask your payroll to recommence your payments on your return to work and notify the PSA you have returned.

If you are in a position that is covered by the collective agreement, by joining the PSA you are automatically covered by the collective agreement. Your payroll will be aware of this when they receive your fee deduction authorisation form.

We also have members whose delegations (positions such as managers) that fall outside the collective agreement coverage who are covered by individual agreements.

Yes, you can be belong to more than one union.

There is nothing in the PSA Rules and Regulations that prevents you from joining another union.

As affiliates of the NZCTU, we have coverage agreements with some other affiliated unions, so don't hesitate to get in touch to find out more.

For example, if you are a registered nurse in the mental health field, you can be covered by the PSA and NZNO (NZ Nurses Organisation).

Members who are mental health nurses who belong to both the PSA and the NZNO

As the PSA negotiated your terms and conditions, you pay a full fee to the PSA. When you provide proof to the NZNO that you pay a full fee to the PSA, it will charge you a part fee. Click here to view the 2021-2022 NZNO Membership Fees table, showing reduced fees for members of CTU affiliated unions.

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You can be a member of the PSA in more than one workplace so long as both workplaces are covered by the PSA. You would pay full fees at your main place of employment and be covered by the collective agreements at both workplaces. You must ensure that the employer where you are not having fees deducted is aware you are a member of the PSA.

You will need to email membership@psa.org.nz and advise them of your new employer details. Our membership staff will send you a new deduction authorisation form for you to complete and give to your new payroll.

Contact payroll. Your fee deductions cannot start until you have advised payroll. If you need a new deduction authorisation form for your employer, email membership@psa.org.nz and our membership staff will send you a form. Once we receive your first payment, we will send you a membership pack and card.

You need to notify the PSA in writing, giving two weeks' notice as per the PSA rules. You can notify the PSA by e-mailing enquiries@psa.org.nz. You will also need to notify your payroll to stop your payments.

Casual workers pay fees when they work. If you are a regular casual worker – for example, you usually work four hours each week – you can pay the lowest or middle rate fortnightly depending on your hours.

Contact membership@psa.org.nz to discuss your situation if you are unsure.

Members who are made redundant retain full PSA membership, at no cost, for three months from the date the redundancy took effect.

The PSA welcomes former members who wish to stay in touch and continue to participate in the union.

If you have retired, resigned or been made redundant, and you are not currently working where the PSA has coverage, you can still be involved in the PSA as an associate member. The fee for associate membership is $75 a year.

Associate membership entitles you to:

• PSA membership card,
• Te Mahinga Ora, the PSA quarterly journal
• take part in PSA activities
• PSA Plus benefits, including the use of the PSA holiday homes.

Full-time tertiary students studying towards or interested in work in the public or community sectors are entitled to student membership.

It is not open to secondary school students, or to students in paid work in organisations covered by the PSA.

• Free phone advice on pay, working conditions, sick leave, harassment, dispute resolution and other issues at work.
• Free magazines and regular newsletters.
• Free events and activities in your area.
• Discounted benefits, including access to cheap breaks in our holiday homes across the country.

We know it’s a struggle getting by as a student and we don’t want you living off 2-minute noodles just because you want to join an active union before your career gets underway. So, we made PSA membership for students FREE.

• School students
• Students in paid work in organisations covered by the PSA.

Let us know when you finish studies and get a job in the public or community sectors and we’ll talk about transitioning you to our regular fee-paying membership. You can decide at that time whether or not you want to.

There are a number of ways you can get involved as a student member. Join our member networks to fight for your issues, like and follow our Facebook pages to see and share regular updates, order posters to promote student membership on your campus, and take part in union events and activities.

Free student membership is for full-time students considering working in public service departments, government agencies, local government, crown research institutes, state-owned enterprises, community organisations that deliver public services, and hospital workers in mental health, allied health, technical and administration.