November, 2005

The Council of Trade Unions is today congratulating the Labour led government on achieving another milestone in paid parental leave, with the extension from 13 to 14 weeks of paid leave becoming effective today.

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Business leaders' doomsaying is jeopardising the security of ordinary hard working New Zealanders" CTU President Ross Wilson warned today."We have seen business lobbyists talk the economy down before and they seem determined to do it again" he said.

"Business needs to get over the whiff of tax cuts, Rogernomics and labour market deregulation which got them excited during the Election campaign". Ross Wilson said.

"The World Bank has said for the second year in a row that New Zealand is the best place in the world to do business in, have had economic growth of nearly 20% in five years, and although the economy is slowing down there is no need to create a hard landing needlessly."

"Business leaders should get off their political soap boxes and work with us on industry strategies that continue to invest in skills, modern technology and improving productivity to create sustainable economic growth and higher wages." Ross Wilson said "The national interest requires that of us."

"Business leaders have talked the economy down before and it is ordinary working people who suffer".

"A $12 per hour wage claim is clearly reasonable and the CTU is right behind the union led community campaign in Auckland for "super sizing" of fast food pay rates," Council of Trade Unions President Ross Wilson said today.

"There can be no Pacific Prosperity without prosperity for pacific workers," Council of Trade Unions Secretary Carol Beaumont said today.

The Council of Trade Unions and its representative body Komiti Pasefika have been active participants in the Pacific Prosperity conference in Auckland this week, bringing a voice for working pacific people to the conference. An NZCTU statement to the conference is below.

The Council of Trade Unions is cautioning the new government to take Treasury advice on tax reform, tariff removals and employment law with a healthy grain of salt."The government has got the fundamentals right," said Ross Wilson, CTU President. "In the last six years we have seen the lowest unemployment in the OECD, 20% economic growth, high levels of company profitability, higher investment in industry training and tax relief for low income families.

Treasury have also called for increased labour market productivity and cautioned against further regulation of the labour market.

"However as we have learned from the 1990s, productivity in workplaces doesn't come with a deregulated labour market. The CTU wants to see the Government maintain the momentum on improvements in employment law," said Ross Wilson.

"The productivity debate needs to centre around working smarter, not harder, and the CTU is actively involved in a number of strategies in this area," said Ross Wilson.

"Today's unemployment figures with a new low of 3.4% unemployed represent a considerable achievement, while also posing a number of challenges," Carol Beaumont, Secretary of the Council of Trade Unions said today.

The Council of Trade Unions is challenging Business New Zealand to get real about wages, CTU President Ross Wilson said today."Businesses all acknowledge that their top challenge right now is skills shortages, yet they lament any changes to the attractiveness of working conditions through wage increases."

"There have been skills shortages for 3 years," said Ross Wilson. "Only the 2004 amendments to the Employment Relations Act and strong union campaigning in 2005 have made the difference in moving the New Zealand labour market out of the low wage trough we are in."

"The union movement will continue to challenge the business community to think again, and to sit down and work through wages strategies on an industry by industry basis, as part of the productivity and industry development work," said Ross Wilson.

The Council of Trade Unions has welcomed the latest Labour Cost Index figures showing the wage movements across all sectors averaged 3% in the last year, but is pledging to continue the campaign for better wages for workers.

"New Zealand has lost a passionate and tireless advocate for sustainable development and social justice" CTU president Ross Wilson said today."Rod was a key influence in bringing the Green Party and the union movement closer together and we have worked very closely on many issues over the past four years" Ross Wilson said.

"His working life is a testimony to his commitment to the values and principles he so strongly believed in" he said "From an early age he lived those values and principles."

"I am shocked and deeply saddened by Rod's sudden death, and I extend sympathy to his family and colleagues." Ross Wilson said.

"I also acknowledge with grateful thanks his very significant contribution to improving the lives of New Zealanders today and in the future."

"The Business New Zealand ACC levy demands are irresponsible and would jeopardise the financial security of the ACC scheme," said Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson. Mr Wilson is a former Deputy Chair of the Accident Compensation Corporation.

"The Howard industrial law changes are a clear case of mad ideology over rational policy," CTU president Ross Wilson said today.

Radical industrial relations law changes were introduced in a 687 page Bill into the Australian Federal Parliament yesterday.

The Council of Trade Unions has welcomed a report from the Auckland City Council focusing on the creative industry contribution to economic development, but says there is a lack of detailed discussion on workforce issues.