June, 2006

Council of Trade Unions Maori Vice President Sharon Clair achieved a first for Maori women when she addressed the 95th Session of the International Labour Organisation in Geneva earlier this month.

The Council of Trade Unions Maori Vice President Sharon Clair achieved a first for Maori women when she addressed an international conference in Geneva earlier this month, writes this week's Unionist.

"As time goes on many people are scrutinising National's 90 days employment amendment Bill and finding it has many serious faults," CTU Secretary Carol Beaumont said today.

The Council of Trade Unions is warning workers not to take their rights at work for granted, as Australian workers take part in a second national day of action today against the Howard government's radical WorkChoices industrial relations agenda.

"Workers and unions will not be fooled by National MP Wayne Mapp's proposal to 'soften' his bill removing workers' rights during the first 90 days of employment," said Council of Trade Unions Secretary Carol Beaumont.

Carol Beaumont, opinion piece in DominionPost, published 22 June 2006

The National Party’s Employment Relations (Probationary Employment) Amendment Bill attacks the rights of every employee in New Zealand. It is unnecessary and unfair. But most importantly, as New Zealand strives to become a high skill, high value economy, it is unproductive.

The Council of Trade Unions says that the problems faced by Tauranga Police through a lack of a translator is just one example of the need for better support systems for temporary migrant workers in New Zealand.

News that another major national company is scrapping youth rates is a further milestone in the campaign this year to abolish youth rates altogether, the Council of Trade Unions said today.

The Council of Trade Unions Runanga is welcoming Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples' decision to vote against a National Bill setting up a 90 day period with no rights of appeal against unfair dismissal.

The campaign by unions against a National Party plan to expose workers to unfair dismissal is building, the Council of Trade Unions said today.

"This afternoon the EPMU launched their WorkRights campaign - which builds on the work many unions have been doing in the last two months to educate and organise workers around the dangers of National's Bill," said Carol Beaumont, CTU Secretary.

The CTU is reminding MPs to consider National's 90 Days No Rights Bill as they debate Easter Trading laws, writes this week's Unionist. We also report on ASTE's campaign against fixed term agreements in tertiary instiutions.

The Council of Trade Unions says that calls for wage restraint are misplaced.  Carol Beaumont, CTU Secretary, said that it is unfair to single out workers for wage restraint and to reduce their standard of living when employers and others are not being called upon to absorb the effect of fuel price increases.

Members of Parliament need to factor in National's 90 Days No Rights Bill as they debate shop trading at Easter, the Council of Trade Unions said today.

"A number of MPs spoke last night in Parliament about the protections for workers that Steve Chadwick's Bill allowing trading on Easter Sunday provides, and that employees will have the choice not to work on this significant day," said Carol Beaumont, CTU Secretary.

"The response at fleamarkets this morning to National's 90 Days No Rights Bill was clear - people were opposed, and wanted to know what they could do to stop the proposal," said Carol Beaumont, CTU Secretary.

300 trade unionist activists and delegates gathered in Auckland last night committed to intensify the campaign against a National Party proposal to do away with rights at work for first 90 days on the job.

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"Of more than 2 million people currently in the workforce, the less than 500 personal grievance cases that ended up at the Employment Relations Authority last year hardly constitute a gravy train," acting CTU President Helen Kelly said tonight.

New statistics that show close to 300,000 workers every three months would be exposed under National's 90-day no employment rights plan demonstrates the far reaching implications of their employment Bill, the Council of Trade Unions said today.

The Unionist this week reports on the Trans Tasman Food Unions Seminar earlier this week.