Category: Unions

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Government ferry decision a case of political steering failure

Source: Maritime Union of New Zealand

The Maritime Union says the Government’s U-turn on purchasing new Interislander ferries is the predictable but costly outcome of flawed decision making.

The Government has said it is now looking at building new ferries again following the advice of the Ministerial Advisory Group.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says the grounding of the Aratere last week has now brought home the seriousness of the situation of our inter-island ferries.

“The iRex project for new ferries and terminals should have been reconfigured rather than cancelled outright.”??

He says the claimed savings by the Government do not stack up.  

“There needs to be an accounting of costs incurred up to now, including any break fees, a far higher price point for new builds ordered now, and a probable five year wait for new vessels to come into service.”

Mr Findlay says industry sources have suggested that the all up cost of the new builds could be up to $1.2 billion – more than double the $551 million cost of the vessels for the cancelled iRex project.

The current ferries will all be well over thirty years old by 2029. Maintenance costs have doubled on the ageing ferries to an estimated $65 million a year.

Mr Findlay says it is unacceptable that crew and passengers will be exposed to risk caused by failure to invest in ferries and infrastructure.

He expressed grave concern the proposed new ferries would not be rail capable.??

“This means double handling of containers, adding substantial costs for freight customers, delays and undermining the supply chain.”

Mr Findlay says none of this takes into account that the Picton and Wellington ferry terminals both still require modernization.

The Maritime Union says new ferries have to be rail capable and there needs to be a plan for terminal upgrades in both Wellington and Picton.

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Interislander grounding a warning for the future

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff says that the grounding of the Aratere is a warning about the current state of the Interislander service.

“New Zealand has now found itself lucky twice with the Interislander. In 2023, the Kaitaki lost all power with more than 800 passengers on board. Now the Aratere is grounded in Picton. The health and safety of passengers and crew demands a full investigation,” said Wagstaff.

“Our thoughts are with the crew and drivers currently being evacuated.

“These are aging ships that require more intensive repair and maintenance – as we discovered last year when the Kaiarahi service was canceled for days. It’s beyond time that they were replaced with safe and efficient ferries.

“$15bn of cargo is carried annually by the Interislander. It’s in everyone’s interest to make sure that the service is seaworthy.

 “The decision to cancel the replacement ferries should be urgently reviewed in light of the developments overnight. The replacement ships from Korea could have been here from next year. 

“This is a symbol of the direction of this Government. We can’t get power to Northland. A key ferry service is grounded. Yet investment by government in infrastructure will fall every year under the new Budget. The priorities of this Government are all wrong.

“We need an urgent and thorough investigation into this incident, which must include how we are going to deliver new ferries in a reasonable timeline. This grounding is warning that without further investment, lives and our economic security will be put at risk,” said Wagstaff.

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Fears for regional news as NZME proposes job cuts – E tū

Source: Etu Union

Journalists at NZME’s regional and community newspapers in the North Island are seeking support from their local communities as they face the loss of more than 11 full time equivalent jobs from newsrooms across the North Island.

Titles like the Northern Advocate, Hawkes Bay Today, Bay of Plenty Times, Rotorua Daily Post, the Whanganui Chronicle, and other community papers will all be hit by cuts to journalists and the removal of all photo-journalists, if the proposal goes ahead.

The proposal includes cutting out all regional photographers, which Northern Advocate photographer Michael Cunningham said would be the end of an important era.

“The job was more than just taking photos, it was documenting Northland’s history, and also becoming the custodian of nearly 150 years of photographic history in Northland.”

Michael has been a photographer at the paper for 32 years and said the highlight of his work is the thanks he gets from the community.

“It’s probably the joy that you get from members of the community who are so happy that you’ve come to cover their event. It could be anything from the local bridge club to a future All Black.”

Photographs and video are an important part of telling these stories, and hugely important to any media organisation, Michael says.

“I believe that the stories and photos that the Northern Advocate has covered over these years have genuinely made lives better for a lot of people in the Northland community.”

Northern Advocate journalist Denise Piper said it is local communities who will miss out on coverage if the proposal goes ahead.

“Our job is all about holding the powers-that-be to account and giving a voice to the region’s most vulnerable, including patients, local businesses and environmental champions.”

E tū Negotiation Specialist Michael Wood says NZME must not underestimate the importance of regional news.

“The media are the vital connections between groups and individuals, from local sports groups to community culture, to emergency services organisations,” Michael says.

“Recent history with emergencies and disasters has shown exactly how important it is to have good reporting on the ground in all our communities. Reducing the capacity for local storytelling would harm how communities respond to these events.

“It will be little comfort for these regions that NZME claims this is not a cost cutting exercise but will free up resources for investing in four new reporting jobs in Wellington, Christchurch, and business coverage.

“We’re calling on the affected local communities to join our call to save these important roles. NZME needs to hear from local leaders and groups just how important it is to have strong local media.”

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Tiwai deal a great relief for workers and Southland community – E tū

Source: Etu Union

Workers at New Zealand Aluminium Smelter at Tiwai Point are celebrating the company Rio Tinto’s new electricity deal with Meridian Energy, finally securing a longer-term future for the plant.

The 20-year deal ends years of uncertainty about Tiwai Point, which is the largest employer in the Southland region and also supports the local economy by providing many opportunities for businesses in the area.

E tū delegate at Tiwai Point, Curtis Omelvena, says workers are thrilled with the news.

“We finally have job security after five years of constantly being threatened with closure,” Curtis says.

“I was wondering what to do if the place closed down, and I would have most likely left Invercargill and even New Zealand altogether. If it did close, I could imagine a lot of us younger workers leaving the area, leading to a big recession in Invercargill.

“It’s a hugely positive thing for the workers and the wider community in Invercargill, especially as the smelter is working hard to clean up the area.

Curits says the uncertainty has taken a big toll on the workforce.

“The last few years have been very trying on our patience and mental health. Morale will start improving from now.”

E tū National Secretary, Rachel Mackintosh, says the economic impact of this decision for the Southland economy is significant.

“The smelter contributes about $400 million to the Southland economy – it is vital for work and business opportunities in the region,” Rachel says.

“E tū members have been working through the uncertainty as best they can. Our union is committed to a Just Transition through economic changes, which means making sure that workers and local communities don’t bear the full brunt of the everchanging future of work.

“It is a big relief that our members at Tiwai Point, and everyone whose work is connected to the smelter, now have some real certainty about the future. We are looking forward to continuing progress on a collective agreement for E tū members at Tiwai, and with the company’s newly improved position, Tiwai workers should expect some real improvement on wages and conditions as a result of their collective activity.”

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TVNZ workers win in Employment Court – E tū

Source: Etu Union

E tū members at TVNZ are celebrating another victory today, with the Employment Court upholding the original decision of the Employment Relations Authority, accepting that the company has breached the collective agreement.

In a clear decision, the judge has confirmed that TVNZ broke its own agreement with staff, that it did not act sufficiently when this issue was raised by E tū, and that the collective agreement guarantees members the right to be properly involved in developing change proposals, rather than just responding to them.

To ensure that the collective agreement is now complied with, the Court has issued a compliance order which forces TVNZ to follow its agreement with staff.

“It is deeply embarrassing that TVNZ management need to have a court ordered process to force them to follow their own agreement with staff,” says Michael Wood, E tū Negotiation Specialist.

“In recent months, the company has alienated huge numbers of loyal viewers by axing important and popular current affairs show, done enormous damage to staff morale, and spent tens of thousands of dollars in legal and other costs as a result of a botched employment process.

“TVNZ is a Crown Entity with a statutory requirement to be a good employer, something that the judge commented on. TVNZ has not acted as a good employer and this will likely not be lost on the TVNZ Board and their Minister.

“It is time for TVNZ to seriously engage with their staff and unions to resolve this issue. From the outset, E tū members have been ready to sit down with the company and share their knowledge about how to build a sustainable future for TVNZ, rather than being dictated to.

“TVNZ faces major strategic challenges and with this significant legal loss on their table it is time for TVNZ to finally realise it needs to change course and come to the table with E tū members.

“This win for E tū members shows the value of workers belonging to a union so that they can have a voice during difficult times. We encourage everyone, in the media and beyond, to join their union.”

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Union members win ERA case: TVNZ breached collective agreement – E tū

Source: Etu Union

E tū members at TVNZ are celebrating a significant win, with the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) ruling that the company breached their collective agreement in its recent process to dis-establish prominent shows and make large numbers of staff redundant.

The determination agreed with E tū’s position that TVNZ did not comply with Clause 10 of the collective agreement, which requires a high level of staff involvement throughout change processes, an attempt to agree, and meaningful involvement in the development of proposals.

TVNZ members did not get that opportunity. The ERA has now directed that E tū and TVNZ will go to mediation to find a mutually agreeable outcome, and that failing this TVNZ will be directed to comply with the collective agreement. Redundancies will be paused until the matter is resolved.

E tū Negotiation Specialist, Michael Wood, says this is a huge win.

“We are really happy, but not surprised, that the Authority reached the same conclusion as us – that the process was a clear breach of the collective agreement,” Michael says.

“We negotiated for members to have meaningful input into change processes because the workers are the experts, and had TVNZ honoured the collective agreement from the beginning, we may well have reached a much more favourable option for everyone.

“Instead, we’ve had to endure this messy and incomplete consultation process, and the company has already steamed ahead with their plans to cancel our important news and current affairs shows.

“The determination demonstrates that TVNZ management seriously underestimated the extent to which they needed to engage with their employees to find a way forward in these difficult times for the company. They need to engage much more fully – and that requirement is for the benefit of viewers, and the public as a broad stakeholder, as well as for workers at TVNZ. Workers and stakeholders all deserve much better.

“We aren’t going to predetermine the outcome of our mediation, but we are hoping that TVNZ management will finally get the message that they can’t take their workers for granted in these processes.”

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NZCTU slams Government cutting disabled workers wages as disgraceful

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

The NZCTU is slamming a decision by the Government in Budget 2024 to cut a programme which ensured that disabled workers are paid the minimum wage.

“It is disgraceful that this Government is cutting the incomes of hundreds of workers with disabilities across Aotearoa New Zealand,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.

“The idea that any worker should be paid below the minimum wage, let alone as low as $2 per hour, is totally unacceptable.

“The Government was elected on a platform of supporting New Zealanders through the cost-of-living crisis, and yet with this change they are intentionally making life harder for disabled workers,” said Wagstaff.

“The previous Government’s decision to end the minimum wage exemption for disabled workers by paying employers a subsidy was a long-overdue decision,” said Nicole Wallace, convenor of Kaimahi Whaikaha, the NZCTUs disabled workers sector group.

“That policy was the result of decades of advocacy by workers with disabilities, the union movement, and disabled people’s organisations. Workers with disabilities deserve to work with dignity.  

“It is deeply disappointing that the new Government is reversing that policy and condemning many disabled workers to low wages.

“Workplace discrimination and lack of access to work are a significant contributor to high rates of poverty among people with disabilities. This decision will further increase poverty among disabled people,” said Wallace.

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GDP data camouflages economic weakness

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

Data today released by Statistics New Zealand shows that the economy grew by just 0.2% annually, showing stalled growth and weak demand. There has now been six successive quarters of decline, the worst period since the GFC. This is not an economy that is growing or working for working people.

“This data confirms the weakness of the economy at this point. We are becoming more dependent for growth on a few sectors, such as dairy exports, tourism, and rental services. Overall, our exports of goods and services fell in real terms by 0.4%. The top level growth figure of 0.2% growth is hiding real problems in the economy,” said CTU economist Craig Renney.

“On a per capita basis, annual GDP fell by 2.4%. Business investment fell 0.5% overall, led by a decline in plant, machinery and equipment. Households annual consumption of durable and non-durable goods fell 2.6%. This is a very weak set of accounts.  

“GDP data showed declines in output for mining, manufacturing, construction, wholesale trade, retail trade and accomodation, transport, postal and warehousing. Falls occurred in professional, scientific, and technical services. Annual GDP growth was weaker than Australia, Canada, the EU, the US, and the OECD average of 1.7%.

 “This dataset supports the view that many people will already hold – the economy is limping along. Last months Budget had no plan for economic growth, nor any ideas as to how to make the economy work for working people. Countries that have invested in their productive capacity – such as the US – have seen much stronger and more sustained growth.

“Now should be the time that we invest in Aotearoa. Growth is being held back by a lack of investment, both by the government and the private sector.

There is no confidence in the economic management of this country because there is no plan for anything except a tax cut, and reducing government investment in areas such as housing, research and development, and climate change,” said Renney.

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Kiwi secondary school students up with the top in international assessment of creativity

Source: Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA)

The assessment, carried out in 2022, of 15-year-olds from 64 countries, asked students to think of original and diverse solutions for simple expressive tasks and familiar problems, such as coming up with an interesting story idea or thinking of different ways to conduct an awareness-raising campaign in school.

New Zealand students’ results were among the top seven countries in the assessment – the first time PISA has assessed students’ creative thinking competencies.

Chris Abercrombie, PPTA Te Wehengarua president, says the results highlight the creativity of rangatahi, with 2/3 of students seeing beauty in everyday things, 1/3 expressing themselves through art and Aotearoa New Zealand students reporting above average ‘openness to art and experience’.  “There is no doubt that literacy and numeracy are important, but the Arts certainly has an important place in our curriculum also.

“Equipping rangatahi with these kinds of creative problem solving and lateral thinking skills is increasingly important in this day and age and Kiwi teachers should be very proud of these results,” says Chris Abercrombie, PPTA Te Wehengarua president.

“Teachers are committed to, and passionate about, helping young people to navigate confidently and competently their future beyond the school gate – a future where innovative problem solving and diverse creative thinking and critical thinking skills will be increasingly essential.”

He says the PISA results pose a challenge for the Government’s approach to education which seems to favour more standardisation and streamlining of teaching. Also, a critique of the recently released Ministerial Advisory Group on English and Mathematics* recommends that:  ‘To ensure an inclusive, effective, and holistic educational approach, it is crucial to balance the potential benefits of structured teaching with the flexibility required to meet diverse student needs effectively and respect their cultural contexts’.

Chris Abercrombie said he hoped the creativity assessment represented a new direction for PISA, away from the more traditional rote-learning assessments of the past. “It would certainly encourage more New Zealand schools and students to take part.”

*Ministerial Advisory Group report critique

PISA media release

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Ombudsman investigates charter schools OIA request complaint

Source: Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA)

“We are delighted the Ombudsman has decided to investigate our complaint,” says Chris Abercrombie, PPTA Te Wehengarua president. “We believe the refusal to release this information is extraordinary and demonstrates that neither the Ministry of Education nor Associate Education Minister David Seymour are meeting their responsibilities to release information proactively.”

The complaint from PPTA Te Wehengarua relates to its request in March for information about the Government’s policy, advice and costings for the re-introduction of charter schools.

The Ministry’s response to the request, received in May, identified 25 documents as in scope of the request. Only two of the documents have been released in part. Four documents have had even their titles withheld and 17 documents have been withheld under section 18(d) as ‘soon to be publicly available’. However, as at the date of the complaint, only three of these documents are currently listed – not published but title given – on the Ministry of Education website. All other papers, specifically those that have been prepared for Associate Education Minister David Seymour, are not listed on the website.

PPTA’s complaint to the Ombudsman says that ‘despite including in our request that a date be provided for any documents withheld under section 18(d), the Ministry has failed to provide a date by which the information will be available, nor have they previously notified us when information has been made available. We do not have confidence that the refusal is justified based on ‘the agency [being] reasonably certain that the requested information will be published in the near future (and be able to articulate when and where).’

Chris Abercrombie said the public deserved to know more about the proposed model for charter schools. “This is particularly important, given the coalition agreement allows for state schools to be forced to convert to charter schools. What is that going to mean for communities and local schools? Local communities are being left completely in the dark.

“The Government has said that charter schools will be funded on roughly the same level as public schools but have refused to release any information about the funding model. Recent budget announcements that charter schools will be able to access the period products in schools programme contradict the completely independent, bulk funding model that the Minister has been promoting.”

As the Government has stated it intends to introduce charter school legislation by 30 June, obtaining the official information was a matter of urgency for communities and PPTA Te Wehengarua members, he said.

“The lack of transparency around the plans for charter schools gives us cause for serious concern about how they will operate when they are re-introduced. More than $150 million of taxpayers’ money is being poured into charter schools all under a huge cloud of secrecy. This is not the Kiwi way.”