How To Remember Work Rights? Union Campaign Helps Young Workers Leading Into Summer Holiday

How do young workers remember their work rights? Some of the details can be tricky for new workers but every New Zealander should know their minimum entitlements by law, says the Council of Trade Unions Komiti Pasefika.

Using Bebo, MySpace and YouTube, Komiti Pasefika will this summer raise awareness of work rights amongst teenagers and young adults through its KPY (Komiti Pasefika Youth) Awareness Campaign.

“This time of year sees many new workers or students entering the workforce for the summer period. The potential for lack of knowledge about work rights among this group of workers has prompted this education initiative from Komiti Pasefika,” CTU secretary Carol Beaumont said.

“We wanted to go where young people were, and the websites encourage more interactivity and creativity.   The whole aim of the project is to help young workers learn their work rights by using fun video animations, prizes, quizzes and text messaging,” Komiti Pasefika co-convenor Teresa Brown said.

Komiti Pasefika are using their own special website www.kpy.co.nz and popular websites like Bebo, MySpace and YouTube as the primary delivery mechanism for the campaign's 8 key messages, she said.  The campaign, funded by the Department of Labour, includes a text quiz competition with radio stations.