Category: Business

Auto Added by WPeMatico

Posted on

Luxon surrenders worker protections to ACT Party

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

“The Government’s plan to remove unjustified dismissal protections from workers earning over $180,000 shows a concerning lack of leadership from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who has handed too many critical workplace decisions to ACT’s Brooke van Velden, the Minister for Workplace Relations who seems hell-bent on trampling on workers’ rights,” said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting President Rachel Mackintosh. “This move undermines basic employment rights and shifts the balance of power even further in favour of employers.”

“Personal grievances are an important remedy when a worker has been unlawfully mistreated,” said Mackintosh. “High-income earners are not immune to power imbalances in the workplace. Dismissing their right to fair treatment sends yet another clear signal that this Government values employers’ convenience over fairness at work.”
 
The proposed policy excludes senior executives and specialists from unjustified dismissal protections, unless they negotiate these terms individually—an unrealistic option when employers hold the upper hand in employment agreement negotiations.
 
“This isn’t about choice or flexibility; it’s about eroding trust and silencing workers,” said Mackintosh. “Luxon’s Government is setting a dangerous precedent, where protections for some can be stripped away under the guise of market efficiency.”
 
“The Government should reverse this decision and commit to fair workplace laws that protect all workers, regardless of income. Employment law must ensure dignity, respect, and a fair process for everyone. Anything less risks undermining the integrity of our workplaces.” Mackintosh said.

Posted on

RBNZ data highlights weak economy and labour market

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

“Unemployment is forecast to remain elevated until the end of 2025 and isn’t expected to fall back to its pre-recession lows within the forecast period. Without a plan to reduce it, we are choosing a permanently higher unemployment rate in New Zealand. It’s no wonder so many Kiwis are emigrating overseas,” said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney.

Today’s announcement by the Reserve Bank shows that the economy will remain weak going into 2025, and that unemployment will continue to climb, said Renney. “The forecasts show that employment is likely to remain below 2023 levels until December 2025 – while the labour force grows by 28,000 during that period. Over the past year economic growth was effectively zero.”

“Business investment won’t hit 2023 levels until 2027. Residential investment is still falling. Government spending falls and returns to its current level in 2026. There is no engine of economic growth except private spending, which is weak.”

“Many people will celebrate the fall in interest rates, and the hope that this will bring financial relief. But this data also shows that the labour market is in for the long-haul. Yet there is no plan to help towns like Tokoroa or Timaru deal with the closure of large employers. It’s time for a different track.” Renny said.

Posted on

Maritime Union welcomes conviction of ex Port of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson

Source: Maritime Union of New Zealand

The Maritime Union of New Zealand has welcomed the conviction of former Ports of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson on a health and safety charge.

Mr Gibson was found guilty by Judge Bonnar in the Auckland District Court this morning.

Charges were laid against Mr Gibson by industry regulator Maritime New Zealand under the Health and Safety at Work Act (2015) following the death of POAL employee Mr Pala’amo (Amo) Kalati on 30 August 2020.

The Court found Mr Gibson failed to ensure adequate systems were in place to manage critical risks, particularly around crane operations and exclusion zones.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says the conviction brings to an end “an era of failure at the highest levels of Port of Auckland which had tragic outcomes for workers, their families and their colleagues.”

Mr Findlay says the Maritime Union made repeated attempts to draw attention to health and safety concerns at POAL during Mr Gibson’s tenure, which were minimized and downplayed.

“This conviction vindicates the stance of our Union but it sadly comes too late for those who died due to the failure to ensure a safe workplace.”

He says thoughts today should go out to the families and those left behind after deaths on the waterfront.

“Today’s outcome sends a message that workers lives mean something, and that highly paid decision makers are accountable for their decisions.” 

“We hope other senior managers and Board members reflect and gain insight into the effect on innocent working people when health and safety is not prioritized.”

He says new management at the Ports of Auckland have taken a positive approach to engaging with workers and the Union, and this has resulted in health and safety and the wellbeing of workers at the Port becoming a priority.

“Following the ignominious resignation and departure of Mr Gibson in 2021, the Maritime Union has worked together successfully with new management at POAL and stevedoring companies in Auckland to develop a code of practice to ensure best safety practices in stevedoring.”

The Maritime Union would continue to campaign for corporate manslaughter laws that reflected its view – “Kill a worker, go to jail.”

This is the first time a chief executive from a company of POAL’s size had been charged under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

Posted on

BNZ passes on full OCR cut to its standard variable home loan rate

Source: BNZ statements

BNZ is cutting its standard variable home loan rate, passing on the full OCR cut of 50-basis points.

This follows BNZ’s 50-basis point cut to its standard 6-month fixed home loan rate last week to 5.99%.

BNZ Executive Customer, Products and Services Karna Luke says while a 50-basis point cut to the OCR was widely expected, today’s announcement will be welcome news for many New Zealand households and businesses.

“With Christmas approaching and many households managing their budgets carefully, lower interest rates should help make a difference for New Zealanders.”

BNZ will also make changes to its Total Money, Rapid Repay and Mortgage One rates. BNZ’s Rapid Save rate will decrease by 45 basis points to 3.75% effective from 29 November 2024.

The changes to BNZ’s variable home loan rates will be effective from 11 December 2024 for both new and existing customers.

All home loans are subject to our lending criteria (including minimum equity requirements), terms and fees. An establishment fee of up to $150 may apply.

The post BNZ passes on full OCR cut to its standard variable home loan rate appeared first on BNZ Debrief.

Posted on

Mastering Your Auckland Move: Effortless Furniture Removals

Source: Press Release Service – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Mastering Your Auckland Move: Effortless Furniture Removals

Relocating within Auckland can be an exciting new chapter, but the process of moving furniture often feels overwhelming. With the city’s unique blend of urban landscapes and suburban neighborhoods, each move comes with its own set of challenges. Fortunately, with the right preparation and professional help, you can turn this daunting task into a seamless experience.

The post Mastering Your Auckland Move: Effortless Furniture Removals first appeared on PR.co.nz.

– –

Posted on

Kiwi Entrepreneur Launches Campaign to Tackle Secondhand Trading Scam Risks in New Zealand

Source: Press Release Service – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Kiwi Entrepreneur Launches Campaign to Tackle Secondhand Trading Scam Risks in New Zealand

SellWise launches a crowdfunding campaign to introduce a safer, user-friendly, and trusted platform specifically tailored for Kiwis buying and selling secondhand goods.

The post Kiwi Entrepreneur Launches Campaign to Tackle Secondhand Trading Scam Risks in New Zealand first appeared on PR.co.nz.

– –

Posted on

Fish bites: The Potential of Lab-Grown Food (FTS)

Source: Plant and Food New Zealand – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Fish bites: The Potential of Lab-Grown Food (FTS)

Cellular agriculture is an evolving technology where animal meat is grown in a lab using just their cells. This process is potentially an important way of producing animal protein in a sustainable and ethical manner. Plant & Food Research are exploring this technology to grow fish meat and is an important part of our overall fish research at our Nelson site where this recording is from. This week Scigest host and scientist Julie Blommaert speaks to Georgina Dowd about her research on cellular agriculture, the risk and rewards and also the potential for this technology in the future.
To view our full catalogue of podcasts including extra links on some podcasts please go to our Scigest pages: www.plantandfood.com/scigest

– –

Posted on

EIT industry-focused forum gives students opportunity to engage with industry representatives | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

6 mins ago

EIT Auckland Campus Director Cherie Freeman with Nick Larsen of Tataki Auckland Unlimited.

EIT Auckland students and recent graduates have had the opportunity to engage with industry representatives at the Mahi Heke Mai – Working Futures industry-focused forum.

Held on EIT’s Auckland Campus earlier this month, the inaugural Mahi Heke Mai – Working Futures industry-focused forum saw recent graduates and current students meet industry representatives from the IT, supply chain, health and wellbeing and recruitment sectors.

The organiser of the event, Brendon Hickey, said that the occasion provided “an informative and interactive experience for the next generation of Auckland’s workforce talent to share the room with and gain invaluable insights from the experts”.

Brendon, who is the Industry Partnerships Manager at EIT’s Auckland Campus, said that the aim of the event was to provide “a platform and an opportunity for our most recent graduates in the first instance, as well as current students”.

“The opportunity was to enable them to have the curtain pulled back on their spheres of interest, their professional domain, their relevant industry sectors, just to hear directly from people in those areas, so that they could have that credible, authentic exchange with them.”

A high-calibre roster of distinguished presenters and panelists included Nick Larsen, Tech Workforce Lead at Tataki Auckland Unlimited (TAU), the region’s economic development agency. Nick’s presentation contextualised the role skilled migrants and international students play in the local tech, digital commerce and innovation ecosystem, linking their contribution to TAU’s strategic, inclusive workforce development goals.

Garry Green, Founder and Managing Director of Quanton, an Auckland-based AI and automation business transformation enterprise, detailed how his company attracts, nurtures and retains the talent that makes up Quanton’s diverse workforce.

In a similar vein, Dan Kabuuka, Programme Director at Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, gave attendees first-hand insights into workplace environments and cultures. Personal journeys toward fulfilling professional positions of responsibility, involving responding positively to multiple and complex challenges, were shared by Harini Nanayakkara, Group Compliance Manager at Xplor and high-profile technologist and leadership specialist Gareth Cronin.

Critical and up to date labour market and recruitment expertise was provided by Simon Meehan of Absolute IT and Wayne Fry of Hunter Campbell.

Both experts were able to elaborate on current trends and developments, employer requirements and expectations, and connect these to ongoing and forecast economic cycles, with Wayne generously commenting: “I enjoyed the experience and was impressed with the rest of the panel, the interaction with the students and a well-planned and run event. I’d be delighted to be involved or support future events that you might have.”

Brendon says that he was happy at how successful the event was.

“It was pleasing to see industry guests and attendees mingling enthusiastically long after the scheduled ending of the session. Feedback from all participants was extremely positive, positioning us well to repeat the event in 2025.

A recent EIT IT graduate Rahul Mathew said: “As an attendee, I found the talks truly thought-provoking and insightful. I appreciate the opportunity to engage with industry experts and hope this initiative continues to support future talents in New Zealand’s job market.”

Posted on

A quarter of older NZers fear going online due to scam concerns

Source: BNZ statements

One in four older New Zealanders are hesitant to go online due to fears of being scammed, BNZ research reveals.

Up from 13% three years ago, the growing hesitancy among over-65’s raises concerns about digital exclusion in an increasingly online world.

Released for Fraud Awareness Week, the research shows a stark generational divide in digital confidence, with only 10% of under-35s expressing hesitancy about going online due to scams. However, the findings show age doesn’t increase someone’s risk of becoming a scam victim, suggesting fear among older people may be creating an unnecessary barrier to digital participation.

BNZ Head of Financial Crime, Ashley Kai Fong, says this creates significant challenges as we increasingly manage our lives online.

“When older New Zealanders avoid going online out of fear, they miss out on everything from banking convenience to video calls with family. As our world becomes increasingly digital, we need to ensure everyone can participate with confidence,” says Kai Fong.

More positively, the research found strong engagement with education efforts, with 96% of respondents aged over 65 seeing scam prevention material recently.

“While it’s encouraging that older New Zealanders are engaging with scam education, we need to ensure this builds confidence rather than creates fear,” says Kai Fong.

“The goal isn’t to avoid technology – it’s to use it confidently and safely. This is particularly important as more essential services, from banking to government support, become digital-first.”

To help customers stay safer online, BNZ provides scam education resources through its Scam Savvy programme. Offering practical tips and updates on emerging scam trends, the programme equips customers with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the digital world safely.

This is in addition to other measures, including:

  • Tools such as its new online banking lock feature in the BNZ app, which gives customers the ability to disable all online banking activity and lock access to their online banking if they suspect a scammer has gained access to their accounts.
  • Enhanced verification processes for high-risk banking actions
  • Two-factor authentication for greater security
  • In-app identity verification when speaking with BNZ staff

“Digital inclusion is about more than just having internet access – it’s about having the confidence to use it safely. At BNZ, we’re doing our part to better educate New Zealanders about the risk of scams, what to look out for and how to keep yourself safer online,” says Kai Fong.

Keeping account details, passwords and pin numbers safe

  • never click on links or attachments sent by someone you don’t know or that seem out of character for someone you do know
  • keep your computer and phone security software up to date
  • contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve been scammed

Top tips to get scam savvy – BNZ will never:

  • email or text you links to online banking and ask you to log in
  • send you a text message with a link to a website, or link to call us
  • ask you for information about your PIN number, bank account number, or password
  • ask you to verbally share the authentication codes sent to you by text or email, even with a BNZ staff member
  • ask you to transfer money to help catch a scammer or a bank employee who is scamming customers send you a text message about account issues with a link to log in
  • ask you to download software to access your Internet Banking remotely
  • use international phone numbers to call or send you notifications.

The post A quarter of older NZers fear going online due to scam concerns appeared first on BNZ Debrief.

Posted on

Clean Planet to Reduce Plastic Waste

Source: Press Release Service – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Clean Planet to Reduce Plastic Waste

Clean Planet, New Zealand’s leading nationwide cleaning and property services franchise company, today announced the launch of its Sustainable Packaging Programme, a major initiative to reduce plastic waste by reusing and recycling jerrycans across its franchise network.

The post Clean Planet to Reduce Plastic Waste first appeared on PR.co.nz.

– –