The Unionist, Issue 74, April 20, 2007

The CTU’s Workplace Injury Advocacy service is now available to union members nationally, writes the Unionist this week.

Either read on, or you can download a printable version here (PDF file, 53 kb) 

Advocacy Service Goes Nationwide

The CTU’s Workplace Injury Advocacy service is now available to union members nationally. 

The union-only service provides advocacy support to members who have suffered an injury that affects their ability to work and need help accessing their ACC entitlement and a safe return to work.    

The service works with members to find the best way to resolve any problems relating to ACC entitlement, whether the claim is administered by ACC or an accredited employer. 

To date the service has handled over 300 cases in its trial region of Auckland and advocate Malcolm McNeill says enquires are growing steadily from around the country. 

Malcolm was recently joined by Anthony Rimell, former CTU Health and Safety trainer and union organiser to take up the role of phone based advocate for the service. 

The service is available to all union members of CTU affiliated unions, for more information please contact Malcolm and Anthony on 0800 4 UNION (0800 486 466) or email advocacy@nzctu.org.nz.

Corporates, Not Unions Real Threat To Democracy says CTU

“The real threat to transparent, democratic elections comes from big business donors that hide behind anonymous donation rules, not unions who are upfront about their political activity,” CTU president Ross Wilson said this week.

“Unions take pride in the fact that we have achieved a significant political influence for working people and secured many tangible policy gains, including minimum wage increases for low paid workers and four weeks annual leave.”

“We think most New Zealanders would agree the greatest potential for undue influence comes from the election donations of big business and right-wing millionaires, and the political activity of unions pales into insignificance when compared to these.”

“Nevertheless, unions absolutely accept the need for union political party donations, and third party campaigning, to be considered as part of any reform. Controlling communications by union leaders with union members would be an unreasonable restraint however.”

“The identity of all political donors and the amounts donated must be publicly available.  As member driven organisations, unions are upfront about our activity and this would be of no concern to us,” Ross Wilson said.

The CTU has organised public forums on the election finance issue, with a forum coming up in Auckland on May 1, details here: http://union.org.nz/electionfunding

May Day, Workers Memorial Day events start next week

May Day and Workers Memorial Day events begin next Saturday 28 April in various locations throughout the country.

In Auckland, a combined May Day and Workers Memorial dinner is happening on Saturday the 28th, followed by the May Day March on the 1st, with an open mic from 5pm Cnr Queen St and Customs St, and marching at 5.30pm up to Aotea square.

There are also events in Palmerston North, Wellington, West Coast, Christchurch and Dunedin - see the events listings on page 2, and a full details of Workers Memorial Day events are online here: www.union.org.nz/campaigns/workersmemorialday07

Weekly Events Calendar

Unions Local

Unions West Coast
Monday April 23, 5pm
Greymouth RSA
wkcultur@ihug.co.nz

Unions Gisborne
Thursday April 26, 4pm.
Trades & Labour Hall, Corner Customhouse St. & Childers Rd.
cryan@nduunion.org.nz

Unions Waikato
Thur May 3, 5.15pm
TUC, 34 Harwood Street, Hamilton
fiona.mcqueen@epmu.org.nz

Workers Memorial Day and May Day Events

Auckland
Saturday 28th April, 6.30 pm
May Day dinner for all union people. For
bookings contact Garry Parsloe at MUNZ 021
326 261 or Linda Holt at PSA 027 271 3572
Tuesday May 1, 5pm
May Day March.  Open mic 5pm Cnr Queen St and Customs St, march 5.30pm to Aotea Sq.

Palmerston North
Manawatu May Day Cup: Regent Theatre
7.30PM, Saturday 5 May
Palmerston North. Entry by Gold Coin Donation dmartin@nduunion.org.nz

Wellington
Unions Wellington May Day Dinner
From 6:30 Tues May 1st,
Grand Century Restaurant, 84 Tory Street, Wgtn, With Ross Wilson & Lively Latin American Band “Los Andes”
Tickets from your union $30

West Coast
Blackball Museum of Working Class History Trust and Unions West Coast Mayday celebrations, May 4-5, 2007.
Contact Paul Maunder, Chairperson, on
wkcultur@ihug.co.nz.  Full details and programme are online here: 
www.union.org.nz/event/MaydayBlackball07

Christchurch
Saturday 28th April, 12pm
Workers Memorial Day Rally at Science Alive Reserve, Behind Hoyts 8 Theatre, Moorhouse Avenue Speakers - The Hon Ruth Dyson. Contact Karena.brown@epmu.org.nz

Dunedin
Saturday 28th April, 11.30 am
Otago Workers Memorial Market Reserve – Princes Street Dunedin. To be followed by a function at the Masonic Lodge in Manor Place. Contact jennym@nzno.org.nz

Other Events and Campaigns

Ongoing throughout May: Human Rights Film Festival, Akld, Wgtn, ChCh.  Brochures in cafes around town, or
www.humanrightsfilmfest.net.nz

Workers Education Association Forum
David Coats, Assoc. Director Work Foundation [U.K.] “Reviving the Public - public value issues for unions & workers”
Monday 23rd April 12:10 - 1:00 p.m.
Centre for Global Action, 2nd Floor, James Smiths Bldg, cnr. Cuba St & Manners Mall
Wellington.  pbolster@anet.co.nz

Unions Manawatu & Manawatu Mayday Coalition Film Screening
The Spanish Holocaust.  Montse Armengou and Richard Belis (Spain 2003), for the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Guernica.
A moving piece of historical and contemporary reportage on the true scale of the terror meted out on the Spanish population, both during and after the Civil War.
2pm, Sunday 29 April 2007. Te Manawa, Main Street, Palmerston North
Entry by gold coin donation/koha
Contact John Shennan: (06) 357 9106, email john.shennan@psa.org.nz

The Hollow Men: Our Democracy or Theirs?  CTU Public Meeting on election funding.
Tuesday, May 1, 7.30pm, Lower Lecture Theatre (behind the Clocktower Building), University of Auckland, Princes St
Nicky Hager, journalist and author of ‘The Hollow Men’; Dr Raymond Miller (University of Auckland head of Political Studies) and Laila Harré, National Secretary, National Distribution Union.
More info: www.union.org.nz/electionfunding

CTU Meetings, Training

Learning Reps Training, Stage 1 for IDEA Reps
Tuesday/Wednesday 22nd & 23rd May, 9am-4.30pm, Meeting Room, NZCTU
7th Floor, Education House, 178 Willis St, Wellington
 marym@nzctu.org.nz

Stage One: Partnership Programme Training-AUCKLAND 
This is an inter-union EREL approved one-day practical course for union delegates and H&S reps who are employed by companies who are in the ACC Partnership Programme (PP).  Union officials are also encouraged to attend.
23 May 2007, 9.00am to 4.00pm
Columbus Centre, 40 Vermont Street, Ponsonby, Auckland           
For more information: robl@nzctu.org.nz

CTU-ACC Workshop: WELLINGTON
This is a two-day workshop for union officials involved in ACC policy and legislation and the Accredited Employers Partnership Programme (PP).   The purpose of the workshop is to inform CTU’s ACC policy in the lead-up to the next general election.
16th-17th May 2007, 9.00am to 4.00pm
Day One: RSA, Willis Street
Day Two: CTU Boardroom, Education House, 178 Willis Street, Wellington
For more information: robl@nzctu.org.nz

Workplace Productivity Challenge: Exploring Workplace Productivity Issues. 
Please note that the planned workshops at Napier (18 April) and Hamilton (1 May) and Rotorua (29 May) have been postponed and have been re-scheduled to later dates as listed below. There is no charge to attend the Productivity Challenge, and some assistance is available for travel and other associated costs.Remaining seminars are as follows

Thurs 3 May, 9am-4.30pm
EPMU training room, 298 Cashell St,
Christchurch EREL deadline April 19
sandyo@nzctu.org.nz by Apr 26

Mon 7 May, 9 am – 4.30 pm
Methodist Centre, 62 London St, Hamilton,
EREL deadline 25 April
sandyo@nzctu.org.nz by April 30

Wed 16 May, 9am-4.30pm
Barge Park Showgrounds, State Highway 14,
Manu, Whangarei EREL deadline May 2
sandyo@nzctu.org.nz by May 9

Thurs 31 May, 9am-4.30pm
Willowhaven, 31 Beaumont Rd, Ngongotaha,
Rotorua EREL deadline 17 May
sandyo@nzctu.org.nz by May 24

Tues 5 June, 9 am – 4.30 pm
Te Manawa Museum, Palmerston North, EREL
deadline 22 May
sandyo@nzctu.org.nz by May 29

Thurs 7 June, 9 am – 4.30 pm
Trade Union Centre, 2 Lipton Place, Onekawa,
Napier, EREL deadline 24 May
sandyo@nzctu.org.nz by May 31

Tues 12June, 9 am – 4.30 pm
Invercargill, (venue t.b.c.), EREL deadline 29
May sandyo@nzctu.org.nz by June 5

Wed 13 June, 9 am – 4.30 pm
St Johns Hall, Wellington Central, EREL
deadline 30 May sandyo@nzctu.org.nz by June 6
More details and registration forms at: http://union.org.nz/workplaceproductivity.html

Contact  
If you have any information about upcoming CTU events please contact:
Sam Huggard - (04) 802 3817, email: samh@nzctu.org.nz