October, 2004

Unions are celebrating an important victory with the passing into law of the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill. The question now is: Where to from here?Download The Unionist (pdf, 400kb)

Making workplaces more family-friendly was the real answer to helping sole parents back into the workforce - rather than slashing their benefits, Council of Trade Unions secretary Carol Beaumont said today.

Unions stand behind the Department of Labour in its efforts to urge employers to improve pay and working conditions to help combat labour shortages, Council of Trade Unions secretary Carol Beaumont said today.

Workers have something to celebrate over Labour Weekend after Parliament this week passed the amendments to the Employment Relations Act into law, Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

Labour weekend was a good time to remember that most workers still struggled to balance the demands of work with the rest of their lives, Council of Trade Unions secretary Carol Beaumont said today.

While some employer groups look at temporary migrant labour to address the skill and labour shortage, unions say the solution lies much closer to home. Download The Unionist (pdf 400kb)

A new approach was needed to help finance low-income families into secure, affordable housing, Council of Trade Unions economist Peter Conway said today.

The CTU was welcoming signals from the Government reported today that more may be done to assist New Zealanders into home ownership.

Employers would have less of a problem with skill and labour shortages if they removed the barriers that prevented women from participating in the paid workforce, Council of Trade Unions secretary Carol Beaumont said today.

The Unionist looks at the Governments Partnership Resource Centre and what it means for union members.Download The Unionist (pdf 400kb)

The biggest challenge facing unions was to build the union movement's power and influence in order to give workers a stronger voice, Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

The Partnership Resource Centre presented a challenge to the private sector to engage constructively on the issues which are vital to the country's future, Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

The Council of Trade Unions supported a recommendation that another index should be developed alongside the Consumer Price Index to better measure changes in the cost of living, CTU economist Peter Conway said today.

The Unionist looks at the Learning Representatives Programme, plus has information on Union Radio and lists CTU events.

Reactions to the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill, support for Ahmed Zaoui, and CTU events.