April, 2006

"The key issue facing the labour market right now is how to attract workers with skills, not how to sack them," said Council of Trade Unions President Ross Wilson, commenting on remarks at National's regional conference in Auckland today.

The Council of Trade Unions today launched a campaign for fair compensation for victims of workplace asbestos exposure.
"The campaign marks International Workers' Memorial Day and its first objective is to get the same ACC lump sum compensation for asbestos victims that injured workers get," CTU President Ross Wilson said today.

The Unionist this week covers the launch of a campaign demanding lump sum payments for asbestos victims, profiles May Day events on Monday, as well as the weekly events listing.

Either read on, or you can download the printed version of The Unionist here (PDF file, 40 kb)

"The report of the National Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Committee (NOHSAC) supports long expressed union concerns that the costs of workplace disease and injury are born largely by injured workers and their families," Council of Trade Unions President Ross Wilson said today.

The Council of Trade Unions says workers will be campaigning hard to oppose the National Party?s probationary employment bill, saying it is unnecessary and unfair.

"New Zealanders need to understand that the National Party plan will affect all workers," said Carol Beaumont, CTU Secretary. "Teachers, care givers, bank tellers, surgeons, cleaners, factory workers - every worker will have no rights of appeal against unfair dismissal in their first 90 days if the bill passes."

In this week's Unionist we profile the launch of a global campaign for cleaners, and bring you details of Workers Memorial Day and May Day events.   Either read on, or you can download the printed version of The Unionist here (PDF file, 40 kb)

"The increase in work stoppages in 2005 was caused by employers being unrealistic about the union movement's Fair Share wage campaign," CTU Secretary Carol Beaumont said today, following Statistics New Zealand's release of work stoppage figures for the year to December.

The CTU is calling on the New Zealand Government to use its influence to end the repression in Nepal by the King and the army.

"224 union leaders and activists have been arrested merely for exercising their democratic rights," CTU president Ross Wilson said today.

In this weeks Unionist the CTU argues that the National Partys members bill - the Employment Relations (Probationary Employment) Amendment Bill - is the thin end of the wedge for this party, and a major attack on workers.

The Council of Trade Unions is reminding employers bemoaning the inability to trade over Easter break that there are only 3 and a half days a year that are covered by shop trading restrictions.

Two EMA regional surveys on youth rates out today are at odds with Treasury research and a Sherwin Chan Walsh survey of Wellington businesses, the Council of Trade Unions said today.

Last month workers got a taste of what a National government might have dealt to them had it been elected last September. A bill introduced by the National Party would enable employers to sack workers without reason and remove personal grievance rights for all workers in their first three months of employment.

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi Vice President Maori hopes that the initial defensive response from many Parliamentarians to the report of the UN Special Rapporteur shifts to a more inclusive and constructive approach to building a country that takes pride in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Getting the investment in skills development right is a vital part of building a high wage and quality economy, the Council of Trade Unions said today.

"There is always competition for resources between not only different parts of the tertiary sector, but also different stakeholders," said Carol Beaumont, CTU Secretary. "If funding is going to depend in part on an assessment of how relevant a course is to changing regional and national priorities, it will be vital to have widespread and ongoing consultation on this."

Unions are serious about wanting to increase women's participation in the trade union movement, CTU Secretary Carol Beaumont said today.

The Human Rights Commission today released their second Census of Women's Participation in Governance and Professional Life, which this year included trade unions.

CTU RUNANGA MEDIA RELEASE 03 April 2006.

The Runanga of the Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi is right behind the coalition of Maori organisations formed to promote the Maori Electoral Option.