Social Development

CTU Alternative Economic Strategy

The CTU launched a national debate on how to create an economy that works for everyone at their Biennial Conference today (22 October 2009) in Wellington.

CTU Economic Bulletin No. 100

March 2009

Comment

This is my 100th Bulletin. It is not quite my last. Our new economist takes over in May. I have found over the years that unionists value a statistical update that focuses on the measures that matter to them. Of course statistics can be misused. And sometimes a statistic can be accurate but still mislead without other details to round out the story. For instance, China has surpassed the USA as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases but per capita emissions in the USA are 6 times that of China. And one I often remind people of is that while it is true that in New Zealand, 97 percent of enterprises employ 19 or fewer people, the other 3 percent of enterprises employ 69 percent of the workforce and 68 percent of enterprises employ no-one at all. It is also relevant that around 96 percent of Australian firms employ fewer than 20 workers.

Ross wilson speech to Mayors Taskforce for Jobs AGM 26 July

Skills, Productivity & Wages

Download:
Click here to download Ross Wilson's speech (doc)

Ross Wilson speech to Green Party Conference, June 2005

I welcome the opportunity to once again bring warm greetings from the Council of Trade Unions. It is also a very important opportunity to acknowledge the excellent working relationship which has developed between the CTU and the Green MPs and Parliamentary staff over the past six years.

State Assistance for People in Employment

MISSING OUT? STATE ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE IN EMPLOYMENT

Fact Sheet 13 : Maori

This Fact Sheet was prepared for the July 2002 General Election campaign.

Progress made under the current Government

Maori workers, especially those on low-incomes, have benefited from increases to the Minimum Wage and improved rights under the Employment Relations Act. Many other areas of progress for Maori relate to better provision of health, education and housing; or policies to support the development of Maori communities.

CTU Policy: (6) Social Policy

From the CTU policy book, produced November 2000.

6. SOCIAL POLICY

6.1 General
6.1.1 The NZCTU recognises the importance of an adequate social wage to the living standards of working people and supports a comprehensive system of social welfare benefits and services which ensures all workers can participate in the community.