"I am delighted to announce that Carol Beaumont has been elected unopposed as our new Secretary," Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.Carol Beaumont was on Friday elected unopposed by the 34 CTU affiliated unions representing more than 300,000 union members as CTU Secretary to replace Paul Goulter who is resigning for personal reasons.

"Carol has more than 20 years experience as a union official in the health and retail sectors during a very difficult period," Ross Wilson said.

Her leadership role in the National Distribution Union as National Retail Secretary, and her work during the past three years as the Director of the CTU Organising Centre in Auckland, equip her well to play a key leadership role in continuing to rebuild the union movement in New Zealand.

"Carol has also been active in promoting the interests of women unionists and will now have the opportunity to take a leadership role on behalf of working women."

Ross Wilson said Carol Beaumont's strong links in Auckland would also be an important asset in the new role.

"I have developed a strong personal respect over many years for Carol's skills and commitment and I am looking forward to working with her," Ross Wilson said.

"Pay discrimination against women is in breach of international human rights law and even Business NZ should support its elimination," Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

"The Government Taskforce to address pay equity in the public sector is a positive and constructive step towards the valuing of work traditionally done by women," said Ross Wilson, president of the Council of Trade Unions today.

"The Victoria University annual survey showing that the number of New Zealanders in trade unions continues to grow is good news," said Paul Goulter, secretary of the Council of Trade Unions today.

"Ending appeals to the Privy Council will affirm this country's identity as
a developed, democratic and independent nation," Council of Trade Unions
president Ross Wilson told a Parliamentary Select Committee hearing
submissions on the Supreme Court Bill today.

Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson has described today's budget as "too cautious"."Although it's clear the finance minister wants to preserve his options after carefully accumulating a surplus, there was room for social development expenditure in this budget," said Ross Wilson.

Ross Wilson said when the government came into office in 1999 it inherited an accumulated social deficit.

"The poverty and income inequalities that arose in the 1990s have still not been adequately addressed," he said.

Ross Wilson said unions would welcome budget expenditure in education and growth and innovation and a number of other positive initiatives.

"The additional funding for industry training is particularly significant," he said.

Ross Wilson identified several positive initiatives, such as funding for a tripartite skills development project, more money for employment mediation, lower costs for doctors' visits for some, literacy initiatives and an ability for employers to tax workers' retirement savings contributions at 21c for those earning under $38,000.

"Unions look forward to a budget next year which targets assistance to those on low incomes," Ross Wilson said.

"There is room for this to be done as well as improving state sector capacity to deliver quality public services and decent pay and conditions for state sector workers. "

"Workers who turn up fit for work cannot be forced to take leave, regardless of whether they have returned from a country with SARS," said Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson today.

"Unions want to see proper funding of quality public services and sufficient resources in the state sector for decent pay and conditions for workers in Thursday's budget," Council of Trade Unions President Ross Wilson said today.

"A new report released by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions shows New Zealand still does not meet international minimum human rights for workers," Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

"Workers who negotiate redundancy agreements should be able to be confident those agreements will protect them when a business becomes insolvent and they lose their jobs," Council of Trade Unions present Ross Wilson said this morning.

"The labour market does not appear to be responding in any significant way to labour and skill shortages," said Council of Trade Unions secretary Paul Goulter, today.Statistics NZ Labour Cost Index and Quarterly Employment Statistics figures on wages released today, show private sector wages increased only by 2.2% over the year, while wages in the public sector increased by 2.5%.

Of those who got an increase in the last quarter the median increase was 3%.

"With predictions of a difficult winter for the economy, it is a real concern for unions if the figures on wage increases for the last year are as good as it gets," said Paul Goulter.

"There are some fundamental problems in the labour market. Wages are 25% lower than in Australia, many workers are not covered by collective agreements, and women are paid over 15% less than men on an hourly basis," he said.

"If we are to get growth in GDP per capita to move into the top half of the OECD then real wages need to rise."

"The death toll in our workplaces can be dramatically reduced if employers co-operation with unions on the implementation of new health and safety law," Council of Trade Union president Ross Wilson said today.

"The CTU is an enthusiastic partner in the "Skill New Zealand" campaign with the Government and Business New Zealand," Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today. Ross Wilson will join Steve Maharey and Business N Z CEO Simon Carlaw at Windsor Engineering today for the announcement of the Government's industry training package.