THE UNIONIST: Wages, health and safety and new community sector project

The Unionist this week reports on the National Party and wages, new health and safety guidelines, and an innovative new project taking unionism to the voluntary sector.

National needs to come clean on wages

The Council of Trade Unions last week called on the National Party to come clean on wages, after mixed messages in recent public statements on the matter.

“John Key and National need to front up with some consistency on wages, after comments reported this week about his desire for wages to drop,” CTU president Helen Kelly said last Wednesday.

Comments from John Key (PDF) to a business audience in Northland in December were revealing, she said, where he said he would love to see wages drop.

“The CTU knows that wages need to go up, and we have a plan on how to do it.”

“Everyone agrees with the need to close with wage gap with Australia, but leaving it to taxes alone is a joke.”

“Will National support regular increases in the minimum wage to lift people out of poverty wages, or freeze it like they did last time when it was increased by less than a dollar over 9 years?”

"Will they support strengthening collective bargaining provisions in employment law so that low wages can be addressed at an industry level by workers and employers, or remove collective bargaining rights like they did last time which saw wages drop dramatically?”

"National needs to come clean on their intentions for wages in New Zealand.  The best way to put more money into workers’ pockets is through decent wages, and National’s tax cuts favouring the rich ignore the needs of working people," Helen Kelly said.

Health and Safety guidelines good start - implementation needed

The CTU has welcomed a new health and safety information pack released by the Minister of Labour today, and says that the challenge now is to implement good practises.

“Recognition that health and safety is everyone’s responsibility, and that investment in staff welfare and development makes good business sense is encouraging, and confirms our view on the key role of health and safety in productive workplaces,” CTU secretary Carol Beaumont said this Friday.

“The report’s findings and their case studies provide the practical framework which the Health and Safety in Employment Act sets down.  It recognises the importance of a collaborative approach towards managing health and safety, through employee participation and a commitment by management towards resources for health and safety management.”

“The challenge for companies and organisations now is to recognise this and make health and safety a top priority.”

“For our part, the CTU is proud to have trained 18,000 health and safety reps elected under the Health and Safety in Employment Act.  Elected health and safety reps make an important contribution to improving New Zealand’s safety culture. This representative model of worker participation is a significant step towards a productive, participative workplace,” Carol Beaumont said.

Column: Helen Kelly on public services 

When the inevitable point scoring debate about the size of the public service takes place during this year’s election campaign, it will be important for us to think about who these public servants are and whether we want a society where these services are maintained, or whether we want one without them, or where we have to pay for them privately, CTU president Helen Kelly said in a column this week.  Click here to read the column.

Finally this week, a guest contribution from Conor Tywford from the Workplace Wellbeing project.

Community Sector Workers – the Greenest Field?

The Community Sector is notorious for its poor pay and conditions. As at May 1 2007, workers in community organisations – social workers, administrators, counsellors and others – earnt on average 15.3% than their public sector counterparts and 17.6% less than in equivalent occupations in the general market (Strategic Pay, 2007).

Fragmented workplaces and a loss of the tradition of unionisation are just some of the challenges that organisers face in this sector. Successes in sister sectors, however, such as aged care and nursing, show that gains are possible.

Inspired by these campaigns, a new project called Workplace Wellbeing has been developed to raise the visibility of employment issues in the sector and make a case for more sustainable funding.  SFWU Nga Ringa Tota is a key partner in this project, along with three community sector umbrella organisations - the NZ Council of Social Services, the NZ Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations, and Social Services Waikato.

Contracting out means that the government is the ultimate employer in this sector; in the process of contracting out, sector wages get squeezed. Unions thus have a key role to play in encouraging community groups to organise collectively for better contract funding. Collective agreements and MECAs start to become relevant to community sector organisations, no matter how small they are, once they can be seen to provide clear leverage for negotiations with funders.

Over the coming year the project group will be focusing on strengthening relationships between the community sector and sector unions, including looking at possible unionisation strategies, such as a Community House MECA. The group will also run a series of employment relations workshops for community sector managers and will produce a range of employment relations resources for people working in community organisations.

- Conor Twyford

For more information about the workshops or the Workplace Wellbeing project, contact:
Conor Twyford, Project Resource Officer, 021 213 2553 or ere.project@gmail.com
Jane Stevens, Social Services Waikato, 021 222 0191 or jane@sssw.org.nz
Michael Woodcock, NZFVWO, 04 385 0981 or marketing@nzfvwo.org.nz

Events:
Effective Employment Relationships – one-day workshops for community sector managers and board members – for more info contact ere.project@gmail.com or the contacts below
West Auckland – March 6. Contact Mandy Spencer, 09 838 7903 or mandy@wadcoss.org.nz
Whangarei – March 10. Contact Anne Shaw, 09 430 0176 or wcoss@xtra.co.nz
Blenheim – March 17. Contact Lyne Johnson, 03 520 7448 or lyne.johnson@marlborough.govt.nz
Porirua – March 31. Contact Avalon Mikaere-Williams, 04 235 5218 or coordinator@pcoss.org.nz
Palmerston North – April 15. Contact Geraldine Holmes, 06 354 3809 or pncsc@inspire.net.nz

Weekly Events Calendar

Unions Local

Unions Wellington
Monday 3 Mar, 5pm.
CTU, Lv 7, West Block, 178 Willis St Wellington
pbolster@anet.co.nz

Unions Tauranga
Monday 10 March, 4pm
Seafarers Centre, Hull Rd, Mt Maunganui. 
garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz

Unions Otago
Mon 10 March, 4.30pm
NZNO, Level 3, 7 Crawford St, Dunedin. 
glendaa@nzno.org.nz

Unions Auckland
Thursday 20 March, 4pm.
Trades Hall, 147 Gt Nth Rd.
garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz

Unions Canterbury
Planning meeting
Tuesday 18 March 2008, 7pm.
Trade Union Centre, 199 Armagh St Christchurch
karena.brown@epmu.org.nz

Unions Northland
Tuesday 25 March, 4pm
TUC, 7 First Ave, Whangarei
garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz

Unions Manawatu
Friday 28 March, 3pm.
PSA House, 41-47 King St, Palmerston North
john.shennan@psa.org.nz

Unions Gisborne
Wed 9 April, 5.15pm
Trade Union Centre - Cnr Childers Rd and Customhouse Street
Colleen.Ryan@ndu.org.nz

Other Events and Campaigns

International Working Women’s Day 2008  
An invitation to celebrate the 100th anniversary of IWWD.  Thursday 6 March 2008     5.30pm- 7.30pm. St John’s Church Hall, Cnr Dixon and Willis Streets Wellington.  Music, refreshments and short speeches. Music by Union Women “Choir Choir”.  For more info click here.

Red Flag Social Club
Friday March 7th, from 5.30pm.
Trades Hall, 149 Gt North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland
wwrc@ihug.co.nz

Privitisation By Stealth
Why This Discredited Practice Is Still On the Political Agenda, Sunday, March 16th 2008
11.00 a.m. – 5.30 p.m.  Trade Union Centre, 199 Armagh Street, Christchurch.
Bill Rosenberg, of CAFCA, on the international pressures driving privatisation.  Laila Harre, former Cabinet Minister, on the internal and external pressures on Government to privatise. Sue Newberry, Associate Professor of Accounting, Sydney University, on the structures in place which enable some privatisation initiatives to proceed without the public being aware.  For more info click here (PDF).  Roger Awards follow conference, see below:

The Roger Award
For the worst transnational corporation operating in Aotearoa/New Zealand last year (2007).  The 2007 Winner(s) will be announced on Sunday, March 16th, @ Trade Union Centre, 199 Armagh St, Christchurch, 7.30pm. For more info click here.

Working Women's Resource Centre workshops
THE WORKING WOMEN’S RESOURCE CENTRE is proud to present the following Legal Seminars designed and presented by Barristers Helen White and Usha Patel and funded by the ASB Community Trust:
WOMEN COVER YOUR ASS…ETS
These seminars are provided free of charge, are open to all Women and light refreshments will be provided.  The seminar will cover important things to know about FAMILY LAW including the benefits, the pitfalls and the costs of: Wills, Family Trusts and The Relationship Property Act.
* Thursday 6th March
Venue: Otahuhu Town Hall
Lower conference room
Corner High Street and Great South Road
6.00pm to 9.00pm
* Thursday 27th March
Venue:  Glenfield Community Centre
Corner Bentley Ave and Glenfield Road
6.00pm to 9.00pm

* Choose which seminar suits you best and book your place by contacting  Ros Hiini Ph 09 379 7906, Fax 09 375 2681, Cell 021 2992921 or Email wwrc@ihug.co.nz

CTU Meetings, Training

CTU Low Pay meeting
Tuesday 8th April 2008, 9.30 to 12.30
NDU Offices, 120 Church Street, Onehunga, Auckland
peterc@nzctu.org.nz

Maori Models of Organising - Nga Momo Whakaritenga
6 courses commencing in July across the country. Details will be advised closer to the time, but early enquiries to helent@nzctu.org.nz or 09-303-9018.

Workplace Productivity Challenge Workshop
There is no charge to attend the Productivity Challenge which is an EREL-approved course.
Financial assistance is available for travel, wage reimbursement (if not on EREL or other leave) and other associated costs. There are places available in the following workshops:

Wednesday 12 March 2008, 9 am - 4.30 pm - Dunedin
Friday 14 March 2998, 9 am - 4.30 pm - Hamilton
Wednesday 2 April 2008, 9 am - 4.30 pm – New Plymouth
Friday 4 April 2008, 9 am - 4.30 pm – Palmerston North
Friday 11 April 2008, 9 am - 4.30 pm – Petone Wellington

Register now for one of these workshops.
Dates for 2008 workshops and Registration forms for these workshops above are on the CTU website. If you wish to register interest in a future workshop please tell us your name and location and details of how to contact you. We will cater to demand and arrange something to suit you if you cannot find a location that suits you.
Email Sandy - productivity@nzctu.org.nz.
Check out the WPEP website for more information: http://union.org.nz/workplaceproductivity.html

Contact
For information about the Unionist, or to list upcoming CTU events, contact CTU Communications and Campaigns Organiser Sam Huggard on 04-802-3817, or email samh@nzctu.org.nz.