Category: Employment Issues

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NZCTU submit in opposition to charter schools

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

“The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi strongly opposes the reintroduction of charter schools in the education system and calls on the Government to withdraw this dangerous bill,” said Acting NZCTU Secretary Erin Polaczuk.

“It is outrageous that David Seymour has said that he is trying to undermine unions by amending the legislation to restrict the ability of unions to initiate bargaining for multi-employer collective agreements involving a charter school.

“We are demanding that the Government protect workers rights to redundancy and collective bargaining, and not breach it’s obligations under both the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act and the ILO conventions.

“This Bill threatens to introduce a for-profit education model in schools and communities right across Aotearoa, with the potential to fundamentally reshape the education system.

“This significant reform to our education system is being hastily pushed through by the Government, which is restricting the ability for those affected by the Bill to have their say.

“This model is far worse than what was legislated for under the last National government – giving the Minister and ministerial appointees the unilateral power to convert state schools to charter schools without due process and agreement from school communities is unprecedented and contrary to the principles of Aotearoa’s education system.

“Children and parents have the right to expect a high standard of education delivered by qualified teachers and to have a say in how their schools are run.

“We are also deeply concerned that under these proposals charter school sponsors will not be under the same legal obligation as state school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” said Polaczuk.

Read the submission here:

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ERA determination on public service job cuts a win for working people

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

The Employment Relations Authority’s determination that the Ministry of Education failed to comply with their workers’ collective agreement when cutting jobs sends a strong message that workers’ rights must be upheld, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff.

“The Government’s reckless attack on public services and workers has been brutal, and aspects of it have now been deemed unlawful,” said Wagstaff.

“We welcome this decision from the Employment Relations Authority, as it shows that government departments can’t just get away with ignoring their obligations to their workers.

“The directive from cabinet ministers to public service departments to make sweeping cuts to workforces has directly led to this disregard for worker’s rights and conditions.

“The Government’s rush to axe jobs has been indiscriminate – workers should be retained when public services are already struggling to keep up with demand.

“Working people deserve respect and dignity, and for their rights to be upheld. Collective agreements must not be ignored in pursuit of the Government’s ideological agenda.

“We congratulate the PSA for taking this case and fighting to uphold the rights and dignity of their members in the public service.

“This decision sends a strong message that employers must uphold their agreements with workers and not rush ahead with indiscriminate job cuts,” said Wagstaff.

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Inflation data shows cost-of-living challenges continue

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

Data released by Statistics New Zealand today shows that annual inflation was 3.3%, falling from by nearly half from a year ago (6% – June 2023).

 “This fall in inflation is welcome, but it is being driven by international factors rather than domestic actions. There are also costs for working people that continue to increase rapidly,” said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney.

“This data is also weaker than expected – suggesting problems within the wider economy. It supports other data which implies that we might be heading back into falls in economic output.

 “The falls in inflation were driven by reductions in the price of food, particularly fruit and vegetables. There are also falls in the price of furniture, household appliances, and the cost of second-hand vehicles. This data suggests a lack of demand in the economy and a lack of consumer confidence. There were also falls in IT equipment and international airfares – again suggesting that demand for these discretionary goods may be falling.

“Meanwhile, pricing for rents continues to increase rapidly – rising 4.8% annually. This is the fastest rate of growth for 17 years, which is as far back as the data goes. Local Authority Rates increased 9.8%. Insurance prices increased 14% annually, led by growth in property insurance (24%) and car insurance (24%). Petrol prices rose 14.7%. These are costs that are very difficult to avoid, and so will be hitting working people in their pocket.

 “This data will be welcomed by those looking for interest rates to fall. But they also suggest that economic growth is stalling, and that action is needed now to support employment and household incomes. The cuts in investment set out by the Government at the recent Budget are likely to exacerbate this problem even further,” said Renney.

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150 people picket against cuts to care at Ardiva’s Village at the Park – E tū

Source: Etu Union

This afternoon about 150 people joined a picket line outside Ardiva’s Village at the Park, a residential aged care facility in Newtown, Wellington.

The lively crowd included residents from Village at the Park, their families, workers, and neighbours from the wider Newtown community. The event was hosted by E tū and NZNO.

With Arvida proposing to cut over 400 hours a week from care workers, nurses, and activity coordinators, the picketers had deep concerns about the impact on affected workers and the care they can provide.

E tū delegate and care worker Rita Narendra, who spoke at the rally, worries about the impact of the proposed cuts on residents.

“With fewer staff, we won’t be able to care for all of them because there won’t be enough time,” Rita says.

“I don’t want any resident to stay in bed until the end of the shift. I don’t want to see residents not getting up to enjoy their life as they always do. I don’t want to see any resident ringing the bell with no one attending to them. It’s very sad.

“Cutting staff means we won’t be able to spend time with them, to listen and ask questions. It’s not just about care, it’s about listening to them and spending time with them, so they feel like this is still home. We don’t want to take anything away from them.

“I want Arvida to know they’ve been providing a beautiful service for years. Why change now? Their name is held in high regard. People talk positively about this place, so why go back? Why not continue providing quality life for these residents who appreciate it so much? That’s my biggest question.”

NZNO care workers Charith Weerasuriya Arachchige and Nama Wiejesinghe share the sentiment.

“We feel huge frustration. How am I to give my all? We are not working with machines, they are humans,” Charith says.

“It’s hard because we are dealing with emotional stress, not just physical, and we need to have good mental health,” Nama says.

Village at the Park resident Lew Skinner spoke on behalf of independent living residents at the facility. He knows that the proposed cuts don’t make sense.

“No one sees staff sitting around doing nothing – we see no fat in the system,” Lew says.

“These proposals affect all of us. Independent residents are part of the Village at the Park ‘Living Well’ community, many are one short step away from moving into the care units.

“Residents and their relatives are dismayed they had not been clearly told by Arvida what is happening – the two letters they’ve received had given no real information and had just confused people.

“We recognise there are financial challenges. We do not believe the solution to this problem lies in cutting the numbers of staff, who are the lowest paid and most vital to resident well-being.”

ENDS

If you are a worker or resident at Village at the Park, or would just like to help us stop the cuts, email joanna.wallace@etu.nz to get involved!

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Downer cuts show the model is broken – E tū

Source: Etu Union

A proposal by Downer Group New Zealand to reduce their power workforce by 12% should set off alarm bells for people concerned about our infrastructure.

The company, which is a major contractor responsible for implementing and maintaining energy infrastructure, is holding meetings with their workforce across the country this week to present their new proposal, which they say is in response to shareholder and investor pressure in the face of uncertain foreseeable work.

A Downer worker, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of retribution from the company, says the decision is short-sighted and presents real risk to our infrastructure networks.

“We struggle to fill our stand-by rosters now as it is, which has huge implications for the standard of service we can provide,” they say.

“A smaller workforce means people waiting longer when their power goes off. It means taking longer to get to a power pole after a car accident – people could die before we get there to turn off the power.

“If there’s a serious storm, it’s all hands on deck. A smaller workforce at Downer means they’ll have to get in other contractors in that situation, who might charge double for the work. It doesn’t make sense.”

The worker says he’s worried about what these redundancies will mean for workers and their families.

“There are generations of people working in these jobs. Some depos might have an older worker, their kid, and their grandkid at the same place. Job losses on this scale will really hurt families.

“There’s usually work going somewhere, but you might have to up sticks and move somewhere you don’t know anyone. You might get worse pay and conditions. Some guys might bugger off to Australia.”

E tū Negotiation Specialist Joe Gallagher says the proposal shows the model for providing and maintaining this essential infrastructure is broken.

“More and more, we’re seeing the dangerous effects of the competitive contracting model in the delivery of services,” Joe says.

“This is a well-established workforce with a long history of looking after New Zealand’s electricity networks. Having a series of smaller contractors undercutting Downer to win the contracts results in a scattered, less cohesive approach to the delivery and maintenance of the infrastructure.

“The asset owners need to understand what it really takes to keep the lights on, and we’re worried that they are letting some immediate cost-cutting present a real risk not just to the livelihoods of the Downer workforce, but to the very core of New Zealand’s infrastructure.”

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Power to Win: The story of our Living Wage Movement – E tū

Source: Etu Union

Originally published by the Council of Trade Unions

Never have we needed to talk about power to win decent wages more than right now. With an ongoing assault on workers’ rights and conditions — the repeal of Fair Pay Agreements, massive public sector layoffs, the undermining of sick pay, a pitiful and mean-minded increase to the minimum wage — people power is needed more than ever.  

Sometimes it feels as if we are back to May 1991 and the advent of the Employment Contracts Act, courtesy of another newly-elected National government. At that time I was a new union organiser, working for the Hotel and Hospital Workers Union, that became the Service and Food Workers Union and later E tū.  I’d learnt about unions in the 1980s, as a newspaper compositor and member, activist and delegate in the Printer’s Union.

Before 1991 most workers in Aotearoa were covered by union-negotiated awards and agreements. The ECA took power from workers and their unions and handed it over to employers. Union membership plummeted and so did pay rates and conditions.

Unions looked to win back power and tried many different approaches. In 2011 SFWU reached out to the community and invited other unions, faith groups and community organisations to form a new movement committed to addressing poverty pay.  In 2012, the Living Wage Movement was launched with the goal of building community power to win the Living Wage.

The movement has been hugely successful and the lives of thousands of workers and their whānau have been transformed as a direct outcome of Living Wage campaigns — in corporates, in local and central government and in the small employers and NGOs that led the way.  The movement has changed the way we talk about wages in Aotearoa from what is lowest an employer can legally pay to what is the wage a worker and their whānau need to lead decent lives and participate in society.

Power to Win tells the story of the Living Wage Movement, from the idea in 2011, the launch in 2012  and the campaigns waged across Aotearoa to win decent wages. The story is told through the voices of workers, activists and leaders in the movement.  There are workers’ stories throughout the book — stories of workers struggling on low wages, of the courageous workers who speak out for the Living Wage, stories of campaigns across Aotearoa  and of the transforming power of the Living Wage in workers’ lives.

Power to Win is a story about the power of alliance, of joining forces with others across civil society who care about poverty wages and want to work together for change. It’s a story about what we can achieve through people power — how we form alliances with faith groups and the broader community and how we can use that power to win.

The Living Wage story is a story of power and a story of winning.  But the story isn’t over. Wherever workers struggle on poverty pay rates we need to build power to win. That story goes on.

Author: Lyndy McIntye. Lyndy is an E tū Life Member and an Associate Fellow of NZEI Te Riu Roa. She has worked for a range of unions in Aotearoa and briefly in Australia since 1990. In 2015 she took up the role of community organiser in the Living Wage Movement, until 2020 when she began to write Power to Win. Power to Win can be ordered online through Nationwide Books.

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19 organisations send Brooke van Velden open letter calling for engineered stone ban

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

Unions, public health experts and health and safety specialists have today released an open letter sent to Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden calling on the Government to follow Australia’s world-leading example and ban the use, supply and manufacture of engineered stone products.

Australia’s ban, which came into effect 1 July 2024, was put in place following broad consultation, extensive analysis, and is based on scientific evidence that indicated engineered stone workers exposed to silica dust are disproportionately diagnosed with accelerated silicosis – a fatal lung disease.

“We are calling on Brooke van Velden to listen to the evidence and save workers’ lives by banning engineered stone in Aotearoa New Zealand,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.

“Dubbed the modern-day asbestos, the evidence of the harm caused by silica dust is overwhelming. It is clear that a ban on engineered stone is the only option.

“We have continued to warn the Minister that engineered stone needs to be banned. We are pleased to be joining with 18 other organisations to reiterate the urgency of this demand.

“There is no level of safe exposure to silica dust, and it can be fatal. Workers are developing symptoms at an accelerated rate, and at a much younger age than other occupational respiratory diseases. Silicosis is an incurable disease, but the exposure is preventable.

“We want Aotearoa to replicate the regulatory settings adopted in Australia to give workers, businesses, and the wider public the certainty that worker health will be prioritised.

“Work-related health issues kill between 750 and 900 workers each year, and hospitalise a further 5000-6000 workers. It is critical that we do everything we can to protect workers from the impact of work on health.

“Everyone has the right to expect a safe workplace and to be able to come home safely to their family at the end of every day.

“There is simply no need for engineered stone. It is a fashion product and there are safe alternatives on the market. Workers’ lives shouldn’t be traded off for a trendy kitchen,” said Wagstaff.

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Job cuts will severely compromise ACC services

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is dismayed at the announcement that there will be 300 jobs cut at ACC.

“There is no doubt that such sweeping job cuts will severely compromise ACC’s ability to essential deliver services that New Zealanders rely on,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.

“These job losses will lead to less reliable services, undermining ACC’s ability to support people in need. It will now be much harder for people to access their entitlements and get the help they need to recover from injuries.

“It is deeply worrying that there are significant cuts to the Injury Prevention teams, which are focused on ensuring accidents and injuries don’t happen in the first place. Given that WorkSafe has also pulled back from injury prevention due to lack of funding, there will now be no agency leading on preventing workplace injuries.

“Working people deserve better than this. Everyone has the right to expect a safe workplace.

“The Government’s pursuit of tax cuts at whatever cost has directly led to the gutting of the public service, which will cause irreparable harm to New Zealanders who rely on timely and efficient services,” said Wagstaff.

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Axing of Pay Equity Taskforce will entrench inequities for working women

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is deeply disappointed by confirmation of the Public Service Commission that the Pay Equity Taskforce will be disestablished.

“The disestablishment of the Pay Equity Taskforce will result in gender and ethnic pay disparities persisting as pay equity claims go unaddressed,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.

“It sends a message that the Government is washing its hands of responsibility for ensuring that working women aren’t being discriminated against in their pay. This will mean that government abandons its role as a leader on pay equity.

“Government has an obligation to ensure that all communities are free from discrimination, paid fairly and have good incomes. That means addressing pay equity claims as a matter of urgency.

“The Taskforce was already understaffed and claims already taking too long. This decision will greatly compound the problem and undermine the progress toward pay equity in the public sector.

“The Taskforce is still needed. There are numerous claims still unresolved, and all resolved claims still need to be reviewed regularly, which means there must be a continued role for government.

“Everyone deserves good work that pays well, and that means we must not tolerate anyone being paid less because they work in industries that have been historically undervalued by virtue of being female dominated,” said Wagstaff.