The Unionist reports on an election poll out this week showing people dont want cuts to public services to pay for tax cuts, a new centre aimed at improving work and lifting wages, work rights for casuals and today's economic news.

Most New Zealanders Don’t Want Tax Cuts Paid For By Cuts In Public Service Spending

One of the first issue-based polls since last month's Budget shows that 60% of New Zealanders don’t want tax cuts bigger than those in the Budget if they have to be paid for by reduced public service spending or increased government borrowing, the country's public service union said this week.

The poll, conducted by UMR Research, also shows that 71% of New Zealanders would prefer to keep taxes at current levels than have higher user charges for public services. [1]

Only 33% would support tax cuts larger than those in the Budget if that meant cuts to public services or an increase in government debt. Just 23% preferred paying higher user charges to fund larger tax cuts.  Full results are here [2].

“The survey shows New Zealanders value strong public services and don’t want them cut to pay for larger tax cuts,” says PSA National Secretary, Brenda Pilott. “They say strong public services should be a major election issue and we believe their voice should be heard.”

“Tax cuts don’t grow on trees,” says Brenda Pilott. “The money to pay for them needs to come from somewhere, and New Zealanders are saying that they shouldn’t be paid for by cutting public services.”

The PSA also wrote to all political parties in Parliament asking for responses to six questions, including questions on their views on strong public services and how they would pay for tax cuts.  For the parties replies, and more info, visit the PSA's new election site here: http://www.psa.org.nz/Election [3]

Major initiative to build high performance workplaces launched this week

Two private sector unions this week announced a major initiative to build high performance workplaces and boost New Zealand wages with the launch of the Centre for High Performance Work [4].

"The Centre for High Performance Work is about bringing together the joint knowledge and experiences of the Engineering, Printing & Manufacturing Union and the Dairy Workers Union along with known workplace productivity techniques, and making them accessible to employers, particularly those in small to medium-sized businesses," EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little said.

"What makes our approach different is we are unashamedly worker-centred, because too many productivity initiatives have failed due to lack of buy-in from the workforce. We see giving workers an effective voice and a stake in the process as key to improving the value of the work we do.

"High performance work and true productivity gains can't happen without the stability of a constructive relationship between employers and workers, and that means a solid framework of work rights like unfair dismissal protections, EREL training and decent collective bargaining rights to provide security for the workforce."

The CTU spoke at the launch and congratulated the EPMU and Dairy Workers' Union on the initiative.

"Productivity has at times been a dirty word for workers, particularly when it was used in the 1990's as an excuse to make cuts in terms and conditions," CTU president Helen Kelly said.  "However, in recent years, a more progressive approach to industrial relations has meant the CTU could work with Business NZ and the Government on a number of initiatives [5] that focus on a positive model of workplace productivity."

Helen Kelly said that "a lot has been said about productivity. This Centre is about doing things and is another step which shows that unions are serious about building high performance workplaces that will benefit workers".

Work rights getting better for casuals

“The rights at work for casual workers are about to get better, and no party should stand it the way of this much needed law change,” Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly said on Sunday.

The government has announced [6] plans to beef up Employment Relations Act protections for temporary and casual workers, and run an awareness campaign to make sure casuals were aware of their rights.

“There have been significant real improvements for workers in this country over the last 8 years but many of the new improvements have been denied to large numbers of workers because of the misuse by employers of casual employment relationships.  That makes these changes extremely significant and important,” Helen Kelly said. 

“There is an army of casual employees, often low paid workers, many of whom are totally insecure about their terms of employment, their hours of work, their entitlements to sick leave and holidays and their employment status in relation to any workplace problems. The insecurity of their employment makes it difficult for them to assert their rights, and also effects many other aspects of their lives in areas like housing stability, access to loans and superannuation savings.”

“We expect all political parties that believe in fairness at work to support this move, or tell casual and temporary workers why they should go without their rights at work,” Helen Kelly said.

Economic News: Now not the time to cut costs

The bank workers union Finsec is calling on big business to resist a traditional slash and burn response to the 0.3% decrease in GDP announced today and instead is calling for an increase in their expenditure and investment in New Zealand.

"Now is not the time to cut costs. That will add to the problem. We need to start seeing money flowing directly into the economy and workers' pockets," said Andrew Campbell, Finsec's Campaigns Director said today. [7]

"History is clear; investment is needed to get out of tough times and companies that slash and burn often pay the price in the longer term. We call on businesses that can afford it to start spending and get the economic wheels turning - a strategy that has worked in the past," he said.

"The major banks produced combined net profits of over a billion dollars for the first six months of the financial year. Rather than sending that profit back to Australia they can be investing it in better wages and employing more staff locally. This is an easy contribution banks can make to helping turn around the decline in growth," said Campbell.

"We need good, well paid jobs that stay in New Zealand and for workers to get fair pay increases so that they can survive in the tough times and so that we can all do our bit to improve the economy," said Campbell.

Audio/Video: Click here [8] to hear CTU Economist Peter Conway discussing the issue ahead of today's announcement, on the Sunrise show this morning.

Weekly Events Calendar

Unions Local - July meeting times

[9]Unions Wellington
Tues July 1, 4-6pm.
NZCTU Boardroom, Lv 7, Education House, 178 Willis Street
george.collins@epmu.org.nz [10]

Unions Tauranga
Mon July 14, 4pm 
Seafarers Centre, Hull Rd, Mt Maunganui. 
garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz [11]

Unions Otago
Monday July 14, 4.30pm
NZNO, Level 2, 7 Crawford St, Dunedin
glendaa@nzno.org.nz [12]

Unions Canterbury
Tues July 15, 4pm
TUC, 199 Armagh Street, Christchurch
karena.brown@epmu.org.nz [13]  

Unions Auckland
Thur July 17, 4pm 
Trades Hall, 147 Gt Nth Rd.
garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz [11]

Unions Manawatu
Friday July 25, 3pm.
PSA House, 41-47 King St, Palmerston North
john.shennan@psa.org.nz [14] 

Unions Northland
Tues July 29, 5pm
TUC, 7 First Ave, Whangarei
garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz [11]

Other Events and Campaigns

Trade Union History Project AGM
Tuesday  1 July 2008, 5.30pm
WEA Rooms, 3rd Floor, Anvil House,
138 Wakefield St, Wellington (Opposite Michael Fowler Centre)

CTU Economics Forum
Wednesday 2nd July, 4 pm to 6 pm
PSA House, 6th Floor, 11 Aurora Terrace, Wellington.
The CTU has invited four leading economists to a CTU Economics Forum. The participants are Stephen Toplis, Susan St John, Brian Easton and Peter Harris. Helen Kelly, NZCTU President will chair the forum. Each speaker will address the forum on fiscal and monetary policy issues – covering tax, government spending, benefits, debt, monetary policy – and comment on the state of the economy. There will be time for questions and discussion.  Please advise albertw@nzctu.org.nz [15] if you are able to come. Put ‘CTU Economics Forum 2nd July’ in the subject line.

Unions Wellington - First Friday Drinks
The regular monthly get together
After work, Friday July 4th
Brix Bar, Abel Tasman Hotel
Cnr.Willis & Dixon Streets

Inaugural AUT Annual Public Employment Relations Lecture
Speaker: Trevor Mallard
TOPIC: ‘The future outlook for employment relations in New Zealand’
TIME: 3:00-4:00pm, Tuesday 22nd July 2008
VENUE:  AUT Business School, Room 711, 42 Wakefield Street, Auckland
Please RSVP to Serena Gent (serena.gent@aut.ac.nz [16]) by Friday 18th July.

CTU Meetings, Training

[17]

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 [18] 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 - Register now for one of these workshops:
- Monday 30 June, 9 am - 4.30 pm, Dunedin
- Friday 11 July, 9 am - 4.30 pm, Mangere East South Auckland
- Tuesday 15 July, 9 am - 4.30 pm, Christchurch
- Friday 18 July, 9 am - 4.30 pm, Wellington Central
Dates for 2008 workshops and Registration forms for these workshops 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 in our current schedule.
Email Sandy - productivity@nzctu.org.nz [19].
Check out the WPEP website for more information: http://union.org.nz/workplaceproductivity.html [20]