July, 2002

The May 2002 CTU Economic Bulletin includes comment on the Budget, wages, employment, food prices, interest rates, Innovation Task Forces, trade, health boards, migration.

Comment

Although the Budget was promoted as "no surprises" and "boring", it did surprise analysts with the strength of the current operating surplus.

The July 2002 CTU Economic Bulletin includes the economic policies of Labour, PCP, Greens and United Future and comment including CPI, tourism, interest rates, bank profits, rural economy, work stoppages.

It is my honour and pleasure to once again bring warm greetings from the Council of Trade Unions.

This is election year; a time to acknowledge here what has been achieved by Labour in Government, to celebrate the excellent working relationships we have built, and, most importantly, to plan for the future.,/p>

Speech to biennial Engineering, Manufacturing and Printing Union.

It is my honour and pleasure to once again bring warm greetings to your Conference from the other unions within the CTU.

It is my honour and pleasure to bring warm greetings from the Council of Trade Unions. As far as I am aware this is the first time the CTU has been invited to your conference and I appreciate the opportunity to have this dialogue with you.

Speech by Ross Wilson, President of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions to the NZUSA Student Debt Summit, Auckland, 23 July 2002.

Thanks for the opportunity to participate in this very important discussion. I am very happy to present a CTU viewpoint ad I acknowledge the leadership which the NZUSA has shown on this issue.

This Fact Sheet was prepared for the July 2002 General Election campaign.

Progress made under the current Government

Maori workers, especially those on low-incomes, have benefited from increases to the Minimum Wage and improved rights under the Employment Relations Act. Many other areas of progress for Maori relate to better provision of health, education and housing; or policies to support the development of Maori communities.

This Fact Sheet was prepared for the July 2002 General Election campaign.

Progress made under the current Government

The state sector plays a critical role in the lives of New Zealanders. It employs about 250,000 people and accounts for over a third of GDP. The public provision of high quality health, education, housing and other services has a strong influence on people's living standards and sense of wellbeing. Those services, underpinned by a social security system, are often referred to as the 'social wage' and are essential to ensure that working people are able to participate in their communities.