About the Workplace Productivity Education Programme

The NZ Council of Trade Unions Workplace Productivity Education Programme (WPEP) arose from a joint exercise on productivity involving business and union representatives and the government. Funded by the Department of Labour, the WPEP formed part of a broad series of actions and initiatives that, combined, are designed to enhance productivity in New Zealand.

Research has found that:

• there is a strong association between increased productivity and the involvement of workers and their unions in their workplaces
• "establishment practices" that encourage workers to think and interact in order to improve the production process are strongly associated with increased firm productivity.

The WPEP provided an adult education programme for union delegates and other workers. It introduced and focused on the ‘seven drivers’ of workplace productivity as a constructive and practical approach to identify smarter ways to work to improve NZ’s productivity levels.

The initiative arose from the work that the CTU and several unions had already been involved in as participants in discussions with the Government and Business NZ on productivity issues as part of the Workplace Productivity Working Group.

The WPEP has helped workers become more knowledgeable and more involved in workplace practice, so that:

• workers and their reps have a say about more than just wages
• improvements that benefit workers can be achieved
• health and safety issues can be addressed
• models of change are contested
• gains are shared more fairly
• workers' collective rights to organise and have a voice are improved.

Unions and union members have already led some of the debate around the introduction of innovative ideas and projects and other contentious issues. But there is more work to do if we want to make long-term gains and ensure security of employment.