CTU Policy: (6) Social Policy

From the CTU policy book, produced November 2000.

6. SOCIAL POLICY

6.1 General
6.1.1 The NZCTU recognises the importance of an adequate social wage to the living standards of working people and supports a comprehensive system of social welfare benefits and services which ensures all workers can participate in the community.
6.1.2 The NZCTU supports social welfare benefits that are:
(a) Paid at an adequate level.
(b) Available to all qualifying individuals, and assessed on the basis of individual income.
(c) Paid at an adult rate to all beneficiaries.
(d) Taxable like any other income.
6.1.3 The NZCTU supports social welfare services that are based on:
(a) The right of all people to an adequate standard of health care, housing and education.
(b) Access to these services for everyone, not just those who can afford to pay.
(c) Government planning, funding and provision of basic social welfare services.
(d) Proper wages and conditions, including access to union coverage for workers providing these services.
6.1.4 The NZCTU deplores any moves to run down education, social, health and welfare services which are not becoming the domain of those who can afford to pay and calls upon all workers to declare their opposition to this deprivation of their human rights.

6.2 Health Services
General
6.2.1 The NZCTU believes in the concept of a socialised public health service which serves everyone, regardless of wealth and position.
6.2.2 The NZCTU opposes private hospitals, medical insurance schemes, the increased involvement of private interests in all aspects of the health system and the steady erosion of the public health system.
User Pays System in Health Services
6.2.3 The NZCTU opposes any further extension of the patient having to pay for health services which are currently free - in particular, maternity services, laboratory and radiology services, specialist consultations and pharmaceuticals.
Hospital Care
6.2.4 The NZCTU supports a policy that the Government nationalise private hospitals.
6.2.5 The NZCTU believes that private hospitals and private old peoples' homes are undesirable as private profit is being made out of the infirmity of the aged, the disabled and the terminally ill. Therefore, the NZCTU believes that there should be positive steps taken towards adequate provision of Government facilities to meet all of the medical and nursing needs of this group.
Health Benefits
6.2.6 The NZCTU endorses the principle of universal health benefits, and reaffirms that health services should be available to all at time of need, regardless of the patient's ability to pay. To this end the NZCTU supports the provision of free medical attention, hospitalisation, specialist treatment, general practitioner medical service, nurse practitioner service, prescriptions, medical appliances, including spectacles and dentures.
6.2.7 The NZCTU opposes charges being imposed on medical prescriptions.
Primary Health Care
6.2.8 The NZCTU recognises that many working people and their families are unable to afford the services of a general practitioner. Accordingly, the NZCTU believes the best way to remedy the problem is by:
(a) A network of state funded health centres in the community.
(b) Increasing the numbers of doctors and nurses in the community and utilising more effectively the skills of nurses and other health care workers
Contracting Out Health Services
6.2.9 The NZCTU is totally opposed to contracting out of health services and demands Hospital and Area Health Boards to do the work themselves.
Health Insurance Schemes
6.2.10 Given the growth of private medical insurance schemes to the detriment of public health, the NZCTU affirms its support for a properly funded public health and social welfare scheme and urges the Government to determine the amount of money needed that ensures there are sufficient hospitals and all required health support systems, including welfare payments and doctors' charges.

6.3 Income Maintenance
General
6.3.1 The NZCTU supports as broad objectives of a welfare policy those set out in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, namely that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for their health and well being, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond their control.
6.3.2 The NZCTU states the following are the principles on which such a policy should be developed:
(a) That the intention of welfare policy should be to create the social institutions that equip all members of the community to participate fully in society.
(b) That resources should be devoted to fuller research of the areas in which reform is needed to create the overall stability that is desired.
(c) That a reform of the economic system is needed as an essential element of an overall welfare policy.
(d) That welfare provisions should be funded out of general appropriations from tax revenues.
(e) That direct payments of benefits should be regarded as income for tax purposes, provided that the tax system is appropriately structured.
(f) That benefits should be structured to weaken entrenched dependency relationships between responsible adults in society.
(g) That income maintaining benefits should be based on individual entitlements, with allowances being made for the dependants of the individuals where this is appropriate.
(h) That benefits designed to spread incomes over life cycles should be directed towards those responsible for the consumption and other needs of dependants.
(i) That the loss of an income source should be the sole criterion for entitlement to income maintaining payments.
(j) That all other benefits should be based on universal eligibility, with an appropriate reform of tax structures to retain progressive taxation.
(k) That welfare provisions should coordinate direct cash grants, product and service subsidies, tax rebates and the direct provision of services to achieve the overall blend required for a stable society.
6.3.3 The NZCTU states that the income maintenance system must not be used as a form of wage subsidy for employers.
6.3.4 The NZCTU encourages all unions to support pensioner and social beneficiary organisations in New Zealand.
6.3.5 The NZCTU states that benefit rates be increased so that they do, in fact, allow a "standard of living much like the rest of the community". The NZCTU accordingly states that:
(a) As an initial move all standard benefit rates be increased to the equivalent National Superannuation rates.
(b) All youth rates or benefits be abolished.
(c) All rates of benefit (including Family Support and Family Benefit) be indexed to movements in the Consumer Price Index and adjusted twice yearly.
(d) The trigger levels for all abatement regimes for benefits and the allowable other earning limits to be indexed to the Consumer Price Index.
(e) A higher status, in both grading and training, be placed on the work of counter staff who are beneficiaries' and potential beneficiaries' first point of contact with the Department.
(f) Benefits should not be cancelled without first contacting the beneficiary and in particular that benefits not be automatically cut-off because of failure, or apparent failure, to comply with income declaration and "reporting in" requirements.
(g) The "remote area" policy be abandoned.
(h) Any moves towards a unified or one-benefit system should not be done at the expense of reducing the current entitlements of beneficiaries.
Sickness/Unemployment/Invalids Benefits
6.3.6 The NZCTU states that the residency criteria for sickness and unemployment benefits should be abolished, or substantially reduced. The unemployment benefit should be available to any resident who has already held a job in New Zealand since their arrival. The residency criteria for invalids benefit should be substantially reduced and it should not apply to those who be come invalids once in New Zealand.
6.3.7 That entitlement to the invalids and sickness benefit can be on the basis of individual income alone, irrespective of spouse's income and that the unemployment benefit can be payable at the same rate and with the same age criteria as other benefits.
Family Benefit
6.3.8 The NZCTU recommends that the Government move towards replacing Family Support and the Family Benefit with a universal, taxable child assistance payment.
National Superannuation: State Funded Maintenance for Old Age
6.3.9 The NZCTU states that the tax surcharge on national superannuation should be removed, and that no form of means or income testing be applied to national superannuation.
Employment Related Superannuation Schemes
6.3.10 The NZCTU supports the inclusion in all industrial legislation of a definition of remuneration which incorporates superannuation to allow parties to all industrial agreements to negotiate superannuation schemes.
6.3.11 The NZCTU supports the continued work of an NZCTU committee to assist in the introduction of union based and controlled superannuation schemes.
6.3.12 The NZCTU supports the concept of portability for all superannuation schemes.

6.4 Housing
General
6.4.1 The NZCTU states that all citizens are entitled as of right to a standard of housing, whether purchased, rented, leased, shared or otherwise occupied, which will enable them to fulfil to a reasonable degree their social, economic, physical, aesthetic, cultural or personal aspirations without undue hardship or deprivation.
State Housing: Rental
6.4.2 The NZCTU believes that the provision by the state of subsidised rental housing and mortgages is an important contribution to the social wage. The value of this contribution extends not just to the direct recipients of housing assistance, but to all working people insofar as state housing has a restraining influence on rents and sale prices across the whole low and middle range of the housing market.
6.4.3 The NZCTU opposes any sale of state housing as it is a squandering of a community asset which can be used and reused over a period of years to provide valuable assistance to many people.
6.4.4 The NZCTU considers that priority should be given to further increased construction of state rental housing because of the urgent need for low cost rental housing.
Financial Assistance for Housing
6.4.5 The present Housing Corporation loan limits on first mortgages should be increased to 90% of the cost of the house and the rate of interest payable on housing loans be reduced for people on or below the median wage.
6.4.6 The NZCTU supports the concept of a co-operative saving and lending society for the purpose of making finance available to people on low incomes at reduced interest rates. In its absence the NZCTU considers that that Government should make available funds for ordinary low cost homes at low interest rates for workers in lower income groups, particularly those with families.
6.4.7 A moratorium should be introduced on mortgage foreclosures, evictions and repossessions of homes, properties and possessions of people who are redundant and/or on social benefits or people impoverished through no fault of their own.
6.4.8 The NZCTU supports a review of the Government policy to target rents and mortgage interest rates according to income with a view to minimising the poverty trap effect on low and middle income earners.

6.5 Education
6.5.1 The NZCTU supports the provision of a publicly funded, quality education system with equal access for all people, not based on an ability to pay.
6.5.2 (a) The NZCTU believes that every participant in the education system:
(i) Is entitled to free, compulsory, state-funded and state provided education to age fifteen;
(ii) Is entitled to access to courses and programmes which meet their own personal needs and aspirations; and that such programmes' provision should make it possible for all young people to participate positively in full-time education and/or training until at least age nineteen and that special provision needs to be made to redress the current inequality of participation in the full range of education courses and programmes experienced by some girls, and Maori and Pacific Island students;
(iii) Is entitled to financial support during post-compulsory education and/or training, without need to be dependent upon another individual; and that such support should not be dependent upon national economic factors and that such support for post-compulsory education and general skills training should be the responsibility of the state, with specific job training the responsibility of the employer;
(iv) Is entitled to receive a certificate or statement, recognised nationally, which records their full and actual educational achievements; with such educational certification not acting to restrict access to appropriate courses in further education or training;
(v) Is entitled to return to part or full-time education or training for periods throughout their life-time.
(b) The NZCTU believes that to endorse the quality of education the State has a responsibility:
(i) To fund and provide quality training for teachers, and childcare workers.
(ii) To maintain adequate standards of entry, qualifications and performances of teachers and childcare workers; and
(iii) To ensure an adequate supply of teachers, and childcare workers.
6.5.3 The NZCTU objects to cuts in education spending which make it more difficult for working people and their families to have equal access to quality education.

6.6 Early Childhood Care and Education
6.6.1 The NZCTU supports the right to work for all New Zealanders and opposes any discrimination on grounds of sex and marital status. In particular working parents of young children should have access to a full range of early childhood services and leave provisions enabling them to fulfil their dual roles as parents and members of the workforce without discrimination and prejudice.
6.6.2 The NZCTU states that good quality childcare is a positive contribution to the growth and welfare of young children. It believes that society has a shared responsibility with parents for the welfare of children. It opposes the continuing trend to shift this responsibility more and more onto individual families in isolation and in particular believes that society has a responsibility to share the high financial, economic and emotional cost of bringing up children.
6.6.3 For these reasons the NZCTU believes that access to quality, affordable childcare for pre-school children and to quality after-school and school holiday programmes for young school age children is a right for all New Zealanders whether or not in paid employment. For working parents a range of provisions should also be available enabling them to take periods of leave for family reasons without financial or career loss.
6.6.4 The NZCTU states that the provision of early childhood services, like primary and secondary education, is the responsibility of society. Childcare should be an integral part of a unified early childhood services provision supplied by the Government to flexibly meet the requirements of parents and communities, including full and part-day childcare, kindergartens, 24-hour services for all shift workers, playcentres, mobile pre-school services, family day-care, after-school and school holiday care. The Government's responsibility is to provide the wages, buildings and equipment for all these services as is currently the case with some types of pre-school services. Control of these services must lie with local communities representing parent, professional and union interests.
6.6.5 The NZCTU states that early childhood services are an industrial issue and encourages its affiliated unions to formulate their own policy and to develop their own campaigns around the rights of workers with family responsibilities.
6.6.6 The NZCTU urges unions to consider including as claims on employers a range of leave provisions to enable working parents to make decisions and provision for their young families to best meet the needs of young children, including paid maternity and paternity leave, paid leave when children are ill, childcare leave, flexible working hours provided that existing conditions such as fulltime work and parental leave are protected.
6.6.7 The NZCTU supports that good quality childcare facilities be provided for parents who wish to attend future conferences in order to actively promote the participation of women at conference, and that full recognition be given to the difficulties experienced by all parents and in particular women in attending conferences which are held during the school holidays.
6.6.8 The NZCTU supports the actions of the Early Childhood Workers Union to bring employers of early childhood workers to negotiate awards with the union.
6.6.9 The NZCTU supports an NZCTU Childcare Working Party, and urges unions to recognise their involvement in the childcare issue by giving full consideration to nominating members to the NZCTU Childcare Working Party.

6.7 Accident Compensation
6.7.1 The NZCTU states that the Accident Compensation Scheme constitutes a social contract between the Government and people of New Zealand. It will strongly resist attempts to downgrade the scheme. If the scheme is to be downgraded the Common Law right for an injured worker or a deceased worker's dependants to take proceedings for damages against a negligent employer should be reintroduced. Any changes to the scheme should be negotiated between the Government and the NZCTU as a variation to the social contract.
6.7.2 The NZCTU wants some major modifications to be made to improve the scheme as it now stands. They are as follows:
(a) The Accident Compensation scheme should be extended so as to cover incapacity caused by disease.
(b) Earnings related weekly compensation should be raised form 80% to 100% of the person's average weekly earnings and inflation proofed during the period of incapacity with the 20% difference, if necessary, being paid directly by the employer. Unemployed and other non-earners who suffer a loss of earning capacity should be paid nationally assessed earnings related compensation based on the average weekly wage. That New Zealand citizens who travel overseas for a period of up to six months be covered by ACC.
(c) Lump sum payments for loss of life, limbs, pain and suffering, etc, be immediately increased to fully compensate for inflation which has eroded their value since the time the system was established. Compensation levels should be indexed to the Consumer Price Index.
(d) Increased activity in the area of rehabilitation is needed. Urgent steps should be taken to improve facilities for rehabilitation and an injured person's right to vocational rehabilitation and re-training assistance should be specially spelled out in the Act.
(e) Medical, dental and other costs shall be paid in full by the ACC and surcharging by health professionals made illegal.
(f) Employers should be required to pay wages for the first week in the event of non-work related accidents.
(g) Payouts under the scheme should be faster and in particular, weekly compensation payments should be made within seven days of the date of the accident or of the claim being made.
(h) Provision should be made in the Act for payment of penalty interest by the ACC in cases of unreasonable delay in payment of compensation. In all cases where the ACC wishes to discontinue or reduce compensation the claimant should be given the opportunity of being heard by a Review Officer before the Corporation's decision is implemented.
(i) The NZCTU should have two members as of right elected or appointed to the board of the Accident Compensation Corporation.
(j) The establishment of an Accident Compensation Corporation funded trade union health and safety organisation as part of a vigorous accident prevention programme particularly in industry.
(k) The NZCTU endorses the principle of industrial action to recover full compensation for injured workers particularly where employer negligence has been a factor in the accident.
(l) Legislative protection against dismissal of workers whilst recovering from an accident and receiving accident compensation and to ensure that no worker who is medically able to resume his/her former employment shall be dismissed on return to work for any reason attributable to the accident.