The Council of Trade Unions has today set out its agenda for climate and just transition policies for 2020 and into the new parliamentary term after next year’s election, with the release of ten key actions for government to pick up.
“Next Steps on just transition to good, green jobs” was launched at CTU Biennial Conference today in Wellington, during a panel involving a worker from the Taranaki energy sector, the national spokesperson for School Strike 4 Climate and representatives from CTU Rūnanga and CTU Komiti Pasefika.
“Working people in union are committed to ensuring we take action to protect our planet. ‘Next steps on a just transition to good, green jobs’’ provides the detailed agenda required,” CTU Secretary Sam Huggard said.
“At an economy-wide level a number of the key levers for a just transition are in place. The need for economic diversification is understood, and support and funding are in place to assist this. For working people, however, it’s not enough to just know that the new jobs are there, they need to see a dedicated plan to manage the change process for themselves and their workmates.”
The CTU’s ten policy areas for the Coalition Government to address are:
– Fund the Taranaki 2050 Roadmap
– Support the participation of Māori in driving just transition processes
– Implement the Welfare Expert Advisory Group’s recommendations on active labour market policies
– Progress universal access to redundancy compensation
– Raise sufficient revenue to fund the transition
– Use the purchasing power of key government funds to ensure good jobs
– Ensure working people have a seat at the table where the transition is being planned
– Ensure that the costs of climate mitigation policies do not hurt the poor
– Ensure the Climate Commission has just transition as a key focus
– Commitment to a just transition processes in New Zealand’s National Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement
“From the people building our wind farms to the people developing solutions to how we use our precious natural resources, to people working to keep us healthy as a changing climate introduces new health challenges. Ensuring that all jobs are good jobs; good for people and the planet is essential. Together we can ensure that they are.”