“James Buwalda has re-shaped the Department to address the real labour market issues of the 21st century”  CTU president Ross Wilson said today.

Business NZ is scaremongering with an immature reaction to a very reasonable union movement strategy that seeks employer contribution to retirement savings.

"New Zealand pay rates are still far too low and the CTU supports the EPMU’s wages campaign launched today," CTU president Ross Wilson said today.

"Retail workers’ ability to achieve a work-life balance isn’t being helped by attempts to remove two of the last remaining non-trading days they have off to spend with their families," CTU secretary Carol Beaumont said today.

The new year started off with a lot of publicity about strikes by radiation therapists and laboratory workers in the health sector. Even Bishop Randerson waded into the debate. I thought I would take this opportunity to put a union view on what became an understandably emotional issue.

"Workers will take a keen interest in developing a sustainable New Zealand, and have plenty to bring to the table," CTU president Ross Wilson said today, after the Prime Minister’s Statement to Parliament.

"As long as there remain 80,000 plus people out of work there should be no room for complacency on unemployment," CTU president Ross Wilson said today.

"A 3.2% annual increase in wages in 2006 is still a modest outcome in a labour market with widespread labour shortages", said Peter Conway, CTU Economist. However for those workers who got an increase in 2006, the average increase was 5.5% and the median increase was 4.2%.