The Unionist, Issue 78, May 25, 2007

Development opportunities for food industry workers was a key focus of a two day conference in Hamilton last week for unions in the food industry, writes the Unionist this week.  We also report on the international solidarity focus at the CTU National Affiliates Council meeting in Wellington yesterday.

Either read on, or you can download a printable version here (PDF file, 104 kb)

Food Unions Gather in Waikato 

Development opportunities for food industry workers was a key focus of a two day conference in Hamilton last week for unions in the food industry.

The 70 delegates at the meeting were from the Meat Workers’ Union, the Dairy Workers’ Union, the Service and Food Workers’ Union, the National Distribution Union and the Engineering, Printing & Manufacturing Union.

“There was a recognition there has been ongoing improvement in funding for industry training, but if we’re serious about transforming this part of the economy then we need a substantial boost in training and skill development,” Council of Trade Unions secretary Carol Beaumont said.

Unions attending would be identifying some targets within the industry to seek to lift the uptake of industry training, including by promoting access to the CTU Learning Reps programme.

The meeting was updated on the proposed Workforce Centre of Excellence, to be based in the CTU, an initiative arising out of the Food and Beverage Taskforce.  The Centre’s aim is to ensure worker engagement and commitment to the delivery of the Food and Beverage Sector Development Agenda, Beaumont said.

“Ensuring the success of the food sector, including through quality work and security of employment is vitally important for all New Zealanders.”

The meeting spent some time discussing productivity for food industries, and the union project aiming to provide an avenue for workers to engage in discussion and education on productivity, addressing both the risks and benefits.

Unions also committed to research linkages with Australian unions, develop national bargaining standards across the food industries, consider the KiwiSaver implications for food unions, and audit food unions’ involvement in health and safety initiatives, Beaumont said.

International Focus at NAC this week

The CTU”s National Affiliates Council met this week, with international solidarity issues an important feature of the day.

Tongan PSA secretary Mele Amanaki updated affiliates on the situation in Tonga, and a recent survey of 800 public sector workers about the implementation of the MOU with the government, signed at the end of the July 2005 strike. 

Amanaki told Radio NZ International yesterday the PSA had given government till the June 15 to respond to the survey, and workers haven’t ruled out strike action.

“That would be the last resort but we don’t want that to happen and that’s why we’ve been asking for the past two months to our Prime Minister to meet with us and our main purpose is to have a healthy dialogue with our employers, with government in order to avoid what had happened in 2005 because that has really affected the whole country.”

Dennis Maga addressing the Affiliates Council.  Mele Amanaki is to his left

Filipino trade unionist Dennis Maga is on a national speaking tour to conincide with a visit by Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo next week.  He is spokesperson for the Free Ka Bel movement, campaigning for the release of trade union leader and Congressman Crispan ‘Ka Bel’ Beltran, and updated on the widespread human rights violations in his country.

After Dennis’ talk affilaites passed a resolution calling on the Prime Minister to raise human rights violations with the President when she is here next week.  The resolution is on the CTU website here: www.union.org.nz/news/850.html

Naing Ko Ko is a Burmese trade union activist, given residence in New Zealand in December after the CTU intervened to work with the government to bring him here as a New Zealand government assisted refugee under our UN refugee quota.

He is international campaigns director for the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma, and updated the Council on the current interntaional campaigns of the FTUB.  More information is at: http://www.ftub.org

CTU Weekly Events Calendar

Unions Local

Unions Manawatu
Fri May 25 , 3pm.
PSA House, 41-47 King St,
Palmerston North
john.shennan@psa.org.nz

Unions Northland
Tue 29 May 2007, 5pm
TUC, 7 First Ave, Whangarei
gparsloe@seafarers.org.nz

Unions Otago
Tue 29 May 2007, 5pm.
NZNO Seminar Room, Victoria Chambers,
7 Crawford Street, Dunedin
glendaa@nzno.org.nz

Other Events and Campaigns

Youth Rates Rally
Outside Masterton Woolworths
12:00 pm Saturday 26th May

Rally - Philippines solidarity
12 noon Mon 28 May 2007
Parliament grounds, Wellington.

Unions Wellington
FIRST FRIDAY DRINKS
The regular monthly get together
After work
Friday June 1st
Brix Bar
Abel Tasman Hotel
Cnr.Willis & Dixon Streets
 
Play - Enemies (VUW, Wellington)
TheTheatre programme at Victoria University will soon be presenting a new play by Auckland political playwright Dean Parker dealing with trade union issues. Themes of Dean’s previous plays include the Irish struggle and the invasion of Iraq, and he is a member of the Trade Union History Project.

Dean’s play is a new version of Maxim Gorky’s Enemies (1906), said to be the first play to deal with modern industrial relations. Enemies is an entertaining and thought-provoking play depicting the tensions between peasants who have become factory workers, and aristocrats who are now factory owners. The play was so controversial that it was banned in both pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary Russia. 

Dean Parker decided to adapt the play because of its relevance to the current New Zealand union debate between partnership-based and struggle-based industrial policies.  

We are often told that the current generation of students lack the political fire of previous generations, but I’ve found that the students in this course have been fully committed to the play and its themes, and have spent a lot of time researching both the background to the Russian Revoltuion and the history of New Zealand industrial relations.

Enemies will be performed in Studio 77 (77 Fairlie Tce) from Weds 30 May to Sun 3 June. Tickets $12/$8. Bookins 463-5221 or theatre@vuw.ac.nz

CTU Meetings, Training

Learning Reps Training, for Rail & Port Workers
Monday/Tuesday 28th & 29th May, 9am-4.30pm,
McKenzie Room, St Johns Centre,
Cnr Willis & Dixon Sts, Wellington
marym@nzctu.org.nz

CTU Women’s Council Biennial Conference
Building our Power – Union Women in Action.
This is being held on the 29th and 30th June at the Mercure Hotel in Wellington.
The event includes national and international speakers, workshops and an opportunity to meet with around 150 women unionists from throughout the country.
If you are interested in attending, contact your union. It is EREL approved and registrations close 14 June.

Workplace Productivity Challenge: Exploring Workplace Productivity Issues. 
There is no charge to attend the Productivity Challenge, and some assistance is available for travel and other associated costs.
Seminars are as follows:

Thurs 31 May, 9am-4.30pm
Rotorua is CANCELLED

Tues 5 June, 9 am – 4.30 pm
Te Manawa Museum, Palmerston North,
EREL deadline 22 May
This workshop is full so register to go on waiting list or next course sandyo@nzctu.org.nz by May 29

Thurs 7 June, 9 am – 4.30 pm
Trade Union Centre, 2 Lipton Place, Onekawa, Napier, EREL deadline 24 May sandyo@nzctu.org.nz by May 31

Tues 12June, 9 am – 4.30 pm
Club Southland, 115 Leet St, Invercargill
EREL deadline 29 May
sandyo@nzctu.org.nz by June 5

Wed 13 June, 9 am – 4.30 pm
St Johns Hall, Wellington Central,
EREL deadline 30 May
sandyo@nzctu.org.nz by June 6

More details and registration forms at: http://union.org.nz/workplaceproductivity.html

Stage Three Health and Safety Training Launches
An RSVP is required for all events, to Renee Habluetzel: reneeh@nzctu.org.nz.  For more info contact Renee or visit www.worksafereps.org.nz. Remaining evetns are as follows:
Wednesday 30th May 5-7pm
Edgar Centre, Portsmouth Drive
Dunedin

A Wellington event will be announced shortly.

Contact
If you have any information about upcoming CTU events please contact:
Sam Huggard - (04) 802 3817, email: samh@nzctu.org.nz