The new leader of white collar union BPSU yesterday pledged a “more aggressive” approach.

Government statistician Jason Hayward, who took over from Kevin Grant as president of the BPSU last week, said the union would fight any erosion of workers’ rights as Government looks at hiving off some services.

Mr Hayward said: “My approach to things is a bit more aggressive — the BPSU has been viewed as passive, but we have been extremely effective.

“In terms of aggressiveness we would have a bit more from the BPSU — and communication is something we want to improve.”

And he added: “I don’t intend to sit back idly and watch Government push legislation that has adverse effects on workers.”

But he stressed: “You can have an aggressive approach without being confrontational.

“If the necessary dialogue takes place between ourselves and Government, we see shouldn’t see confrontation, but if there is a breakdown in dialogue, there may be dissatisfaction among the members and they will determine the way forward.”

The SAGE report on cutting the cost of Government has looked at outright privatisation, outsourcing, public private partnerships and mutualisation — where employees take an ownership stake in a spun off service — as ways to cut costs.

Mr Hayward said: “Our initial approach when we look at privatisation, we’re fundamentally opposed to it.

“We have seen it in other jurisdictions, we have seen the effects it has on society and the effects it has on union members and these effects have been negative for the most part.”

But he added: “If we see a model in the best interests of the workers and the country at large, you won’t see us put up a fight about these things.

“The problem we have at the moment is lack of information — we don’t know what the intentions are. We want to know the cost to the public and the effects it will have on our membership.

“Until we get that information, we reserve our position of being very cautious.”

Mr Hayward, 31, the former union first vice-president was speaking as three-year president Kevin Grant opted to stand down and recommend Mr Hayward, a father of three from Pembroke, as his successor for the next three years.

The new president said: “The biggest threats over the next three years I believe will be pensions, Government’s financial situation, the economy as a whole and then we can talk about the symptoms of these problems — in effect, privatisations, Government needing to streamline and civil service reform.”

But he added: “What we really need is to get the economy turned around — once we do that, I don’t think we will be having these types of conversations.”

And Mr Hayward said he wanted to see more “bottom up decision making and effort to reduce the apathy out there among members.”

And he added that his background in statistics would be useful in his new role.

Mr Hayward said: “It does help — it helps in terms of analysing information and problem-solving.

“When it comes to conversations around the economy, I’m extremely comfortable with that information — I used to produce the country’s Gross Domestic Product figures.

“I have all that information in me — you build up an understanding of the economy and you know the drivers of the economy.”

Mr Hayward, who has an MBA in Finance from Nova Southeastern University and a BA in Business Administration from Mount St Vincent University, started his union career as shop steward in the statistics department nearly ten years ago.

He has served on a variety of committees and negotiating teams and has represented the BIU at a variety of overseas conferences.

Mr Grant added he was confident his successor was the right fit for the job.

He said: “Although he may be a new face to the public, he has played a very significant role in the recent negotiations we’ve been having. He is well-known throughout the civil service because as first vice-president, he represented a wide range of Government departments.”

Mr Grant, who will continue to work in an education role in the BPSU, added: “I was looking to probably move in another direction within the union. There comes a time when you have to start looking at succession planning.”

And he said a new “vibrant, young, diversified executive” would move into the positions of power in the union alongside the new president.

Mr Grant added: “The organisation itself is transitioning and I felt the right time to step down was now.”

And he said: “People will say it’s a difficult time. People have come to me and said ‘what are you going to do in the union now? It’s tough times, but I will still be around.”