Union rallies driving home the message on work rights and wages

The Council of Trade Unions is joining the EPMU’s Work Rights Wage Drive in Christchurch today, as unions ramp up their election year activism.

“With many feeling the pinch through increased living costs, workers want concrete answers from political parties on how they will lift wages, protect their rights at work and keep our public services strong and affordable,” CTU president Helen Kelly said.

“It's our jobs that feed and house us and our families, and it's our work rights that help keep those jobs secure and ensure we are properly rewarded for doing them.”

“And with workers’ income dependent so much on their wages, tax cuts can have a short-term benefit but don’t address the long term issues we face.  We need to see detailed plans from all political parties on what they will do to shift New Zealand to a high wage, high skill, high productivity economy.”

Helen Kelly is joining the Work Rights Wage Drive this month and is speaking today at the first rally, at Addington Raceway in Christchurch at 1pm.  The Work Rights Wage Drive is one of a number of activities unions are doing this election year, individually and through the CTU.

Click here for the CTU's election page