August, 2003

Bluff waterfront workers, local townspeople and supporters will be picketing at the gates of Southport in Bluff from around 12.30am, Wednesday 27 August.Maritime Union Bluff Branch Secretary Ray Fife says the picket is to stop employees of stevedoring company Mainland from working the fishing trawler "Amatal Columbia."

The picket follows major industrial action at Southport in July when members of the Maritime Union (MUNZ) and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) staged joint solidarity pickets against Mainland Stevedores and to improve wages for Southport employed casual workers.

Mr Fife says the stability of small port communities like Bluff is put in jeopardy when here today, gone tomorrow operators like Mainland bring in casual, out of town workforces.

"What we are seeing is the continuing attempt to create a powerless, divided, and casualized workforce, ruled over by the pure greed of companies such as Mainland."

Mr Fife says it is not surprising Mainland is being assisted by Southport, who are putting casual employees to work on the wharf.

"During the strike by casual workers here last month, Southport CEO Mark OConnor stated to the media that it was only about pocket money for workers anyway."

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says a national conference call of all Union port branches will be held tomorrow, placing the "Amatal Columbia" on a bad employers blacklist, and calling in the assistance of the CTU and the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF).

He says the consequences of casualization in Bluff would mean the destruction of a highly skilled workforce and the collapse of workers wages, with serious implications to the local economy.

"I have no doubt Southport is deliberately encouraging stevedores with casual workforces to undermine the permanent workforce at Bluff as is happening elsewhere."

Mr Hanson says he has advised the Bluff branch that pickets have to operate within the law in order to comply with the terms of the injunction held against the Maritime Union.

The CTU says the settlement of an employment discrimination case involving a worker who was unable to work on Saturdays because of his religious beliefs, demonstrates that employers need to recognise that workers have lives outside their workplaces.

The CTU supports the Government's "Seriously Asia" initiative launched today but says the bid to boost trade needs to be balanced with good settlement policies for Asian migrants.

The secretary of the Council of Trade Union, Carol Beaumont, is going to Invercargill to launch a campaign to boost trade union involvement in regional development.

Carol Beaumont will be speaking at a regional development seminar in Invercargill tomorrow.

The Governments announcement today that it will establish a work programme to develop family friendly policies that promote a healthy work-life balance is in line with the CTUs Get A Life! Campaign.

The Governments announcement today that it will establish a work programme to develop family friendly policies that promote a healthy work-life balance is in line with the CTUs Get A Life! Campaign.

New Zealand's moves towards legislation that promotes good faith bargaining is a model for others to follow, according to Rob Hulls, Minister of Industrial Relations for the Australian state of Victoria.

Auckland District Health Board chairman Wayne Brown has grossly abused his position in launching a gratuitous media attack on individual medical specialists and their union, Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

"The challenge to Government, business, and unions alike is to take New Zealanders along with strategies for sustainable growth," Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

"The annual wail by Business NZ over proposed ACC levy increases ignores the plea by Australia's Minister of Small Business to introduce ACC there," Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions is backing today's launch of a website which gives global support to the campaign for work-life balance.UK-based Hazards magazine is launching the website, www.hazards.org/workedtodeath, which draws attention to the global epidemic of deaths caused by overwork.

"The reports on this site show the dire consequences of overwork including, in extreme cases, death," CTU President Ross Wilson said today.

"All over the world, the challenge is to balance secure work, with time for family and a healthy lifestyle."

Stress caused by overwork is a risk factor for heart attack, stroke and suicide. It is also identified as an issue in 'Healthy Work', a recent OSH publication which focuses on managing stress and fatigue in the workplace.

Recognising the problem of overwork, the CTU is running a campaign for work-life balance called 'Get a Life!'

CTU research in 2002 revealed the consequences of overwork for ordinary New Zealanders. The 'Thirty Families' project was based on a series of interviews with working families, and the interim report detailed the effects of long working hours.

The report found that long hours were having a serious impact on workers' ability to balance work with relationships, family life, and participation in the community.

It said that incredible stress was being placed on workers and their families by long hours and heavy workloads.

CTU Get a Life! Campaign

The Government's "Jobs Jolt" initiative will succeed if it actively supports people into real sustainable work rather than penalising sole parents on benefits, Council of Trade Unions secretary Carol Beaumont said today.