CTU marks World Day for Decent Work

The NZ Council of Trade Unions is marking World Day for Decent Work on 7 October (tomorrow) by drawing attention to the two ongoing disputes in New Zealand which embody the struggle for decent working conditions.

The International Labour Organisation, representing governments, employers and unions, launched its Decent Work agenda in June 1999, centred around four strategic objectives:

1 To achieve fundamental principles and rights at work;
2 To promote greater employment and income opportunities for both women and men;
3 To aid in extending social protection;
4 To promote social dialogue.

“The demand for decent work is as relevant to New Zealand workers as it is to workers in other parts of the world,” said Peter Conway, CTU Secretary. “Just ask the dairy workers at Open Country Cheese who have been locked out by a company which refuses to negotiate a collective agreement. Or the telecoms engineers fighting Telecom and Visionstream’s attempts to force them into being independent contractors and buy back their own jobs. Both these disputes are about fundamental rights, justice and job security.”

The theme of World Day for Decent Work 2009 is the economic crisis and the fact that most of the world is experiencing big job losses at the same time. The economic crisis threatens the jobs, homes and futures of billions of human beings – those who never profited from the years of excess, whose work has been underpaid and degraded and who bear no responsibility for what is now happening. New Zealand workers have been hit hard by the economic crisis causing widespread unemployment and hardship. From just 17,000 on unemployment benefits last year, there are now over 60,000 in this predicament.

“At both a national and global level we have to push harder for measures to secure respect for fundamental rights at work, and to achieve sustainable economic growth and social justice for all,” said Conway.

Further information on the day can be found at www.wddw.org