Category: Unions

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Monthly Employment Data shows weakness in economy

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

Monthly employment data released today by Statistics New Zealand showed our continuing labour market weakness, and particularly challenging conditions for young working people, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney.

“There are 21,000 fewer filled jobs than this time last year, and the fall has been led by those starting out in work. There are 25,000 fewer jobs being filled by people aged 15-24 than a year ago. This data shows that right now, it’s a hard place to find work for young people.”

“On an annual basis, weakness in the labour market was particularly evident in Auckland (down 10,500 filled jobs) and Wellington (down 3,000). The number of filled jobs fell 2% in Southland, 1.7% in Taranaki, and 1.1% in Manawatū-Whanganui. This data won’t yet reflect the significant layoffs in places like the Smithfields Timaru site or Winstone Pulp International in Ruapehu.”

“Annually, construction seems to be the most adversely affected sector, with a loss of more than 10,000 filled jobs. Accommodation and food services have 7,000 fewer filled jobs, and manufacturing sees nearly 6,000 fewer filled jobs. Administration and support services sees 7,000 fewer filled jobs. Private sector employers seem to be losing staff quickly in this labour market.”

Renney said, “The pressure is also applying to earnings. Annually, accrued earnings rose 0.8%, the slowest September rate since this series began in 2019. Here, unemployment is forecast to rise further to 5.5% in the near future, while job growth in the US and the UK is ahead of forecasts, and Australia put on an additional 47,500 jobs last month.”  

“This data shows that the labour market needs a plan, one that focusses on helping people into good, long-term work. Yet the government is doing the opposite – making work more insecure, taking away essential investment, and it has no employment plan, except more sanctions. There are things we could be doing to manage the pain being felt for working people right now. But the government is choosing not to deliver them.”

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Taxpayers’ Union request to schools

Source: Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA)

An Official Information Act (OIA) request sent to schools by the Taxpayers’ Union, about the time and resources spent teaching te reo Māori and tikanga, has landed on school principals at a particularly awkward time.

“This is an incredibly busy time for schools with exams looming. staffing appointments in a particularly tight job market and end of year awards and planning for the start of 2025 in full progress,” says Kate Gainsford, Chair of the Secondary Principals’ Council.
“Principals and staff have loads of work to get through in the time left before the start of 2025 and gathering information for a tiny lobby group appears to be pretty wasteful of government resources.”
Kate Gainsford said many principals were disappointed to receive such a request in this day and age. “Te Reo Māori is an official language in Aotearoa New Zealand and tikanga is a very significant part of ensuring that schools are welcoming, comfortable places for ākonga Māori and their whānau, and all young people growing up in New Zealand.
“Schools have worked hard over many years to meet Te Tiriti partnership responsibilities so that all students can be given the opportunity to learn te reo Māori and tikanga – it is part and parcel of being a good Te Tiriti partner.
“The OIA request asks schools to set aside their usual work so they can do research for the lobby group but provides no clarification about their motivation or what they are seeking to shed light on for what public good.”

Last modified on Tuesday, 29 October 2024 11:56

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NZCTU alarmed at further cuts to WorkSafe

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

WorkSafe’s announcement that it is planning even further restructuring and cuts just months after losing 15% of its staff has alarmed the NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi.

“Our health and safety regulator is a critical component of our health and safety system, and we know it already has an undercooked capacity to deliver on its role,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.

“Taking more people out to save money to pay for tax cuts is short-term thinking that will have long term consequences for the health and safety of New Zealand workers.

“WorkSafe is now set up to fail. They have stripped down the organisation to its bare bones, throwing whatever they can to the so called ‘front line’ inspectorate, knowing full well that without a well-resourced support function, the inspectorate will be less effective. 

“Everyone in New Zealand has the right to expect a safe workplace and to be able to come home safely to their family at the end of the day. Sadly, these cuts will mean more workers will be at-risk.

“This announcement is all smoke and mirrors. The fact remains that WorkSafe, remains well short of the numbers of inspectors the agency once had when it was created in 2013. At that time, we had 8.4 inspectors per 100 thousand workers (similar to Australia) and now it has been run down to 6.3 – a level we last saw when the Pike River disaster occurred.

“Compounding this problem is the lack of support, and the expectation in this latest proposal for inspectors to pick up more administrative and other functions on top of their day job. This makes a mockery of the claims to move resources to the front line.

“These proposals signal a further shift away from protecting workers from risks to their health and safety and towards a focus to responding to harm. WorkSafe has had to shrink away from its proper role to fit the budget.

“Our health and safety system relies on an effective regulator. This latest announcement demonstrates yet again that health and safety is just not a priority for the Government,” said Wagstaff.

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Workers demonstrate strength of union power

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is celebrating a strong turnout of workers across the country who stood together in opposition to the Government’s anti-worker agenda, with more than 10,000 working people attending hui from Whangārei to Invercargill.

“Today workers from a wide range of sectors and industries came together and demonstrated the strength of union power. Workers told the Government that they are sick and tired of the total disregard for their livelihoods,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.
 
“It is galling to hear Brooke van Velden try and claim today the coalition is great for working people, when she is overseeing a series of policies that erode hard fought for worker’s rights, and refuses to even meet with unions.
 
“Actions speak louder than words. That’s why we know that this coalition government is in the pockets of the rich and corporate interests and doesn’t care about working people.
 
“We are proud of our movement for uniting together and sending this Government a strong message that will not back down and let them get away with their anti-worker and anti-Te Tiriti agenda.
 
“When unions and working people unite and use our collective strength, we bring people together and transform society for the better. We have a proud history of creating change, even in the toughest circumstances.
 
“We will continue to fight for good work, livable incomes, well-funded public services, health and safety at work, and the rights of kaimahi Māori,” said Wagstaff.

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Teachers stand up for public education on nationwide day of action

Source: Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA)

Teachers, support staff, and school and centre leaders are committed to continuing to improve the education system to realise the promises of Te Tiriti and deliver equity of learning opportunities for all.

“The government’s repeal of the Fair Pay Agreements Act leaves teachers and other workers in early childhood centres worse off. It was a lost opportunity to affect positive change for common wages and conditions across the early childhood sector for kaiako and kaimahi. We will continue the fight to ensure early childhood education teachers are properly valued”, says NZEI Te Riu Roa President, Mark Potter.

A Cabinet paper revealed that the move would disproportionately affect women, Māori and Pasifika, and young people – all groups which are over-represented in early childhood education (ECE), where Fair Pay Agreement (FPA) bargaining had been approved.

David Seymour’s charter school project will see hundreds of millions of dollars diverted away from public education. Mr Potter says, “the refusal to invest more in public services means many children are on long waitlists and are not getting the learning support they need. The hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for charter schools means less money for in-class support such as teacher aides and learning support specialists, alternative education and attendance supports for students.”

“These are proven ways to support students to learn and teachers to teach, and not investing in them is at odds with the government’s wider goal of lifting student achievement and attendance, says Chris Abercrombie, PPTA Te Wehengarua president.

“Getting students back to school is just the start – you have to also make sure they will stay there. Schools desperately need a meaningful increase in resourcing to engage students in alternative, vocational or adapted education programmes to support those with chronic attendance issues to reengage with school.”

Mark Potter says, “Teachers will continue to uphold te reo as a tāonga in their classrooms in spite of the Minister of Education’s decision to cut $30 million from Te Ahu o te reo Māori, a programme which develops teacher competency in te reo.”

Chris Abercrombie says, “The programme has helped both Māori and Pākehā kaiako and ākonga flourish in the reo and understanding of tikanga and te ao Māori. I speak to teachers and principals around the motu, and they say it’s helped boost their language confidence and proficiency, as well as challenging them. Our education system and our country are better off for being bilingual.”

“We urge the government to get public education back on track and ensure every tamariki and rangatahi in Aotearoa New Zealand can experience the quality teaching and learning they deserve.”

Note: On 23 October the NZCTU are hosting hui across the country to fight back against the Government’s ongoing attacks on workers’ rights.

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E tū members ready to ‘Fight Back Together’ – E tū

Source: Etu Union

E tū members will join the wider union movement and our community allies at the ‘Fight Back Together – Maranga Ake’ hui happening nationwide tomorrow, Wednesday 23 October 2024.

E tū is the biggest private sector union in Aotearoa New Zealand, covering a huge variety of workers including in aviation, communications, community support services, manufacturing, food, engineering, infrastructure, extractions, property services, and in many other industries.

E tū National Secretary, Rachel Mackintosh, says E tū members will be out in force.

“The hui are one part of the union movement’s mobilisation in the face of attacks from a shockingly anti-worker coalition Government,” Rachel says.

“The Government has already cancelled Fair Pay Agreements, re-introduced 90-day ‘fire at will’ trials for all workplaces, and increased the minimum wage below the inflation rate – effectively giving Aotearoa’s lowest paid workers a pay cut during a cost-of-living crisis.

“They aren’t stopping there. The Government has plans to remove the rights of workers to challenge their status as contractors, robbing them of an important legal protection. We’re deeply concerned about their proposals to meddle with health and safety legislation. They have deprioritised pay equity. We’re calling on the Government to reverse their dangerous agenda in workplace relations.”

Rachel says E tū members are troubled by the Government’s actions and plans beyond workplace relations as well.

“Luxon’s Government is overseeing a deliberate weakening of our public services, particularly in healthcare. They are stoking upsetting divisions in our society with their attacks on te Tiriti and te ao Māori. They have mucked up our social housing programme and cancelled modern transport solutions. It’s a Government of profits for rich mates ahead of people and the environment. Workers are angry, and they have every reason to be.

“We have a vision for something better for working people in Aotearoa. This can be a place where we have decent work, good social and physical infrastructure to support communities, justice under Te Tiriti, an end to inequality and hope for the future.”

Rachel says tomorrow will be a landmark event for E tū and the wider union movement’s activities to demand better for all, not just for a few.

“This isn’t the start, nor the end, of our campaign to protect workers and our communities from the harms of bad political leadership. However the hui will be a significant milestone, and I am proud that E tū members’ voices will join the chorus tomorrow and beyond.”

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New Zealanders want publicly-owned rail ferries!

Source: Maritime Union of New Zealand

New polling released on 15 October by the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) shows the public wants publicly owned, rail enabled ferries.

The poll was conducted by Talbot Mills over the period of 2-14 October and asked:

New ferry options

As you may be aware, in relation to the Cook Strait ferries, “rail-enabled” means freight carriages can roll onto and off of the ferry directly rather than requiring unloading and reloading onto trucks as additional handling steps on each side of Cook Strait. The efficiency gains of being “rail enabled” is thought to add 10-20% to the overall cost to the ferries/infrastructure. The government is now considering three possible options for new ferries. Which of the following options is closest to the one you would support? 

Results showed a clear public preference:

Maritime Union spokesperson Victor Billot says “This shows that New Zealanders can see the terrible mistake the Minister has made in cancelling the new rail ferries and that is only going to get more obvious as the massive costs of this fiasco, like the cancellation fee of up to a half a billion dollars, come to light.

“Rail enabled and publicly owned ferries are vital to New Zealand’s domestic freight. No rail ferries would likely mean no viable rail system, and privatising would be like putting a toll booth on the strait and sending the revenue overseas.

“Unions want rail-enabled ferries, so do logistics companies including Mainfreight, New Zealand First has just said they want them, and now it’s clear the people of New Zealand want them too. The question is why is the Finance Minister so intent on forcing New Zealanders into a bad deal that nobody wants?”

Road-bridging – the practice of taking containers from trains and transporting them onto non-rail ferries adds up to $200 per container cost and takes up to three hours more per sailing. Industry experts have noted this additional cost would price rail out of the north/south freight market.

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Government must support workers following Smithfield closure

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is calling on the Government to show leadership following the announced closure of the Smithfield meat works, and the continued loss of regional manufacturing jobs, by putting in place policies to support workers with retraining and income insurance.

“The loss of 600 jobs will be devastating for Timaru and the communities of South Canterbury, especially during a cost-of-living crisis and an economic downturn,” said Wagstaff.

“It is unacceptable that there has been absolutely no help for the affected workers even though the Government has known since last month that this was likely to happen. We have already seen this lack of support in other situations, such as Winstone pulp and paper.

“The trend we are seeing in terms of the loss of manufacturing jobs in regional communities is going to have a long-term negative impact on regional economic development and on the health and wellbeing of whānau and communities.

“Every forecast tells us that unemployment is going to rise, but nothing is being done at the government level to address it. What we are seeing is a total failure of leadership.

“The Government is happy to underwrite private building construction but will do nothing to underwrite workers incomes.

“We need to learn the lessons of the past and not throw workers on the scrap heap when the manufacturing sector is under pressure. Government has a responsibility to support workers with retraining and pathways into employment.

“It is also becoming clearer by the day just how foolish it was to scrap plans for an income insurance scheme that would have helped tide workers over until they found new work,” said Wagstaff.

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Falling Inflation Reflects a Falling Economy

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

Data released by Stats NZ today showed inflation slowed to an annual rate of 2.2%, reflecting lower petrol prices and a weaker economy, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney.

“The data shows that petrol prices fell 8% annually, and vegetable prices fell 18% annually. These reflect both softer global demand and a return to normal harvests after Cyclone Gabrielle. Prices for discretionary spending items such as furniture, electronics, or second-hand vehicles fell. This suggests weak demand and low consumer confidence, which is exactly what you would expect when unemployment is rising,” said Renney.
 
“Inflation and rising costs that can’t be avoided by households kept rising much faster than the headline rate. Electricity costs are up 7.4% a year. Rates bills rose 12% last year. Pharmaceutical products rose 17% with the reintroduction of prescription fees. Housing insurance was up 20% from last year.

“Rents were the biggest contributor to annual inflation, up 4.5%. It’s clear that the landlord tax cuts aren’t working to reduce rents. Low-income households, struggling after real terms cuts to the minimum wage this year, will still be feeling the pinch of these increases.
 
“One of the biggest drivers of the fall in inflation was the reduction in early childhood costs associated with the new family boost payment. Without that change quarterly inflation would have risen from 0.6% in September to 0.9%. Yet we know that more than half of all eligible households aren’t claiming that support – meaning that fall is unlikely to be translating into families’ pockets for many. Petrol pricing was supported by the one-off removal of the Auckland Fuel Tax, and with rising oil prices globally that fall is unlikely to be sustained.
 
“Inflation is falling right now, but low-income workers might not be feeling the benefit as inflation they can’t escape keeps rising. Lower inflation is good news if it doesn’t come at a cost of much higher unemployment, which every forecast tells us will be happening.

“With inflation now being back in the target band, the Government has no reason to not invest in making sure that unemployment doesn’t happen. Anything else is a choice,” said Renney. 

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PPTA’s Long Term Vision for the secondary teaching profession

Source: Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA)

The PPTA’s vision for the secondary teaching profession is: 

  • Secondary teaching is a well-paid profession 
  • We are a highly trained profession 
  • Teachers and school leaders are well supported in their role   
  • We are a culturally responsive and sustaining profession 
  • Schools are properly resourced for pastoral care, curriculum and assessment 
  • There is a sufficient and sustainable secondary teacher supply 
  • There is a healthy work-life balance 

These industrial goals advance our vision for the profession:  

Vision Area  Industrial goals  
A well-paid profession 
  1. Base scale rates recruit and retain well qualified subject specialists.  
  2. Management and leadership payments reflect the value of the work.  
  3. Reliever rates reflect the importance of relieving teachers.  
A highly trained profession 
  1. There is properly funded and relevant PLD for all teachers throughout their career.  
  2. There are incentives or rewards to upskill and use new skills in the classroom. 
  3. There is appropriate PLD for those aspiring to mentoring and leadership roles. 
Teachers and school leaders are well supported in their role   
  1. The employer provides the resourcing for teachers to do their job well.  
  2. Schools are staffed so that teachers can focus on teaching and learning. 
Culturally responsive and sustaining profession 
  1. There is a culturally responsive and sustaining secondary teaching workforce.  
  2. The profession operates safely within Te Tiriti 
  3. There is recognition of kaiako matatau ki te reo Māori me ōna tikanga (skill in Te Reo and culture).   
  4. There is available, regular and time-resourced upskilling in culturally responsive and sustaining practices. 
  5. Schools are resourced for whānau and wider community engagement. 
Properly resourced for  pastoral care,  curriculum and assessment 
  1. Pastoral care and guidance time are staffed at needs level.  
  2. Curriculum leaders have sufficient time to effectively perform their curriculum leadership role. 
  3. That nationally-directed assessment and curriculum changes are planned, reasonably phased and adequately resourced. 
A sufficient and sustainable secondary teacher supply 
  1. There are sufficient, high quality ITE graduates to supply the sector. 
  2. There are supports and conditions for teachers and leaders through the career pathway to encourage retention through to retirement. 
  3. There is a deep pool of qualified day relievers available to all regions. 
  4. The particular recruitment needs of Kura Kaupapa Māori are addressed. 
A healthy work-life balance 
  1. There are appropriate controls and expectations around workload.  
  2. Teachers and leaders are supported in looking after their health and family responsibilities. 

These industrial targets for collective agreement changes by 2032 support our goals and vision: 

Vision Area  Collective agreement targets for 2032  
A well-paid profession 
  1. Maintain a relativity to the median wage which ensures appropriate recruitment and retention. 
  2. Supervising day relievers are paid at step 8. 
  3. Preparing and delivering day relievers are paid at their actual rate. 
  4. Appropriate relativities are established for units and role-related allowances and maintained. 
  5. An improved system of leadership responsibility recognition.  
A highly trained profession 
  1. Each teacher has an annual dedicated PLD funding allowance.  
  2. The Service and Qualification is stepped at one MMA value and at unit value. 
  3. There is a PPTA administered PLD fund as part of the collective agreement. 
  4. Unit holders receive the costs of upgrading qualification to Q4 or Q5.  
  5. There are sufficient study awards, study support grants and sabbaticals to ensure that each teacher over the course of their career could access one of each.  
  6. There are mentor-teacher roles established in schools with associated time allowances. 
  7. There is an additional allowance for teachers who hold a recognised adult mentoring qualification. 
  8. Associate teacher payments are at the hourly living wage rate. 
Teachers and school leaders are well supported in their role   
  1. Teaching Council fees are centrally funded. 
  2. The mileage payment rate matches the IRD rate. 
  3. All equipment and material is provided by the employer to enable the teacher to deliver a course or programme.  
  4. Each teacher has an entitlement to ancillary support for administrative tasks associated with their teaching. 
Culturally responsive and sustaining profession 
  1. Community liaison roles are fully established, with two hours per week allowance time and remunerated at unit equivalent. 
  2. A cultural leadership role is established and resourced with 0.2 FTTE time allowance and salary of three-unit equivalent. 
  3. There is a payment for recognising high levels of te reo and for gaining and improving qualifications in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga. 
Properly resourced for  pastoral care,  curriculum and assessment 
  1. There are 3,300 pastoral care allowances in secondary schools and a proportionate number in area schools. 
  2. There is a base of two non-contact hours for leadership in addition to time for each permanent unit. 
  3. There is an 18-hour maximum contact load for a full time, fully certificated classroom teacher. 
  4. Class size shall be an average maximum of 25 and the teacher is compensated if this cannot be achieved.  
  5. Each teacher with responsibility for a curriculum or pastoral area has a minimum guaranteed one-hour non-contact time if they do not have a permanent unit. 
  6. Teachers without a unit who have an MMA have ten hours guaranteed allocation of release time to be used over the course of the year. 
  7. The e-teacher and e-dean roles are resourced and referenced in the STCA. 
A sufficient and sustainable secondary teacher supply 
  1. EBITE trainees are specifically covered by the STCA for their employment component. 
  2. Supervising day relievers are paid at step 8. 
  3. Preparing and delivering day relievers are paid at their actual rate. 
  4. The options for end of career work have been increased. 
A healthy work-life balance 
  1. Leave to attend the birth of their child is up to five days. 
  2. Provisions for role-related health checks.