THE UNIONIST: Fairness at work, redundancy, holiday give away

In The Unionist this week: the Fairness at Work campaign to continue, redundancy pay, fairer Australian work laws, and a book giveaway!

Fairness at Work campaign continues

The Council of Trade Unions’ Fairness at Work political campaign would continue, a national meeting of the union movement in Wellington decided this week.

“Unions will continue the ‘Fairness at Work’ campaign’s focus of protecting work rights, strengthening public services, and setting out a plan to lift wages,” CTU president Helen Kelly said.

“The new government has been formed and at the moment there is an understandable focus on the immediate – the current financial crisis and the steps to be taken in the coming weeks to help New Zealand weather the storm.”

“The CTU has ideas on this, and will work with the new government on what immediate steps should be taken to support workers, firms and communities during the global financial crisis.”

“But we also need to look further out than the first ‘100 days’, at aspects of the government’s long term programme which we believe will be harmful for workers.” 

“National’s confidence and supply agreement with the Act Party for example, reveals a concerning mix of further deregulation, allowing businesses to go line-by-line through the public services Kiwis expect and demand and push changes, and cutting government revenue for social services significantly through a 30 per cent tax rate.”

“It is critical that workers have a direct voice in decisions which will have a big impact on their lives.  The CTU acknowledges the early invitation from John Key to meet and the CTU will engage with the government on a constructive basis wherever practicable,” Helen Kelly said.

Fairness at work hot topic across the Tasman too

New workplace laws introduced into the Australian Parliament this week marked an historic turning point to restoring workers’ rights after a decade of attacks by the former Coalition Government, the CTU's sister body the Australian Council of Trade Unions said on Tuesday.
 
ACTU President Sharan Burrow said the industrial relations legislation is the result of a concerted campaign by unions to scrap WorkChoices, which undermined the wages and conditions of Australian workers.
 
“Workers and activists campaigned like never before to rid us of WorkChoices, and a year ago millions of Australians said the Liberals and Nationals had gone too far with their assault on our rights at work."
 
“We have more than 10 years of harm to undo, but we have turned the tide.  This legislation is a major achievement but does not mean the campaign for better rights is over.  We will never stop pushing for improvements in the workplace and better mechanisms to safeguard the jobs and living standards of working Australians,” Ms Burrow said.

Redundancy pay  

The new government should keep alive a proposal on guaranteed redundancy payments for workers, unions say.

Earlier in the year an Advisory Group on redundancy and restructuring, which included business and worker representation, agreed that the Government should consider a requirement in law for notice and compensation, and set out a number of options.

"Being made redundant is a stressful time for workers both personally and financially.  The burden of business closure or downsizing often falls unfairly on workers when they are laid off without compensation," CTU president Helen Kelly said this week.

"Members of unions are much more likely to have redundancy protections, and this shows the benefit of workers coming together collectively to negotiate with employers, in good times and bad.  But everyone should be entitled to some redundancy payment as part of the minimum code of work rights for all workers," Helen Kelly said.

Summer Holiday Book Give Away!

Samuel Parnell, the grand old man of the New Zealand labour movement and the father of the 8 hour day, is recognised in a new book, which The Unionist has two copies of to give away.

Samuel Parnell: A Legacy, is written by labour historian Paul Corliss and is published in association with Unions Canterbury & Purple Grouse Press.

This book documents Samuel Parnell’s legacy not just as the “father” of the eight hour day, but also puts Parnell’s deeds into an international and historical context.  It records Samuel Parnell’s contribution to the working lives of New Zealanders, and contains an array of photographs, newspaper clippings and interesting memorabilia, along with other historical accounts and internet links to other archival material.

Copies available at cost [$10] plus actual postage, and orders can be emailed to pcorliss@paradise.net.nz or to Purple Grouse Press, 38 Belleview Terrace, Mt Pleasant, Christchurch.

HOLIDAY GIVE AWAY: The Unionist has two copies of the book to give away.  Email samh@nzctu.org.nz by Thursday December 11, answering our competition question: During which month of the year is Labour Day? Winners will be announced in 'The Unionist' the following day.  Our thanks to Paul Corliss for supplying us with give away copies.

Economic Update

In the latest Monthly Economic Bulletin, CTU Economist Peter Conway comments on the global financial crisis and the impact both on the economy and the new Government. The bulletin also updates the statistics on wages, employment, household income and expenditure, food prices, trade, retail sales, housing, government accounts, migration and the ‘gender gap’.