Invercargill City Council is taking extreme action in response to Covid-19 - not taken by other councils

Chief Executive Clare Hadley sent a letter last week announcing graded wage cuts for staff, up to 50 percent for those unable to work under level three and four.

National Secretary of the Public Service Association, Glenn Barclay, says other councils are looking at deferring pay rises.

He says as far as they're aware, Invercargill is an outlier and seems the most extreme case they've come across in local council to date.

Barclay says he's disappointed at the approach.