Although Health and Safety Minister, Brooke van Velden, claims to consult with a wide range of people, unions have been shut out from the Health and Safety reform discussion. Nicola Willis request for government departments to stop working from home has been met with widespread backlash, with PSA calling it a “total distraction”. 4000 university staff from Auckland, Massey, Canterbury and Lincoln universities are set to strike over employers’ refusal to pay staff more than living wage. In the capital, public transport workers have stopped industrial action after reaching an agreement between the RMTU and train operator Transdev. In employment news, we are continuing to see massive job cuts – both in the Defence Force, where 200 civilian staff have opted for voluntary redundancy, and at KiwiRail where restructures have meant the loss of all train driver roles at its Napier depot.
Union coverage
- CTU: Health and safety reform: Minister denies unions shut out of nationwide roadshow
- PSA: Government’s anti-working from home move a ‘total distraction’ – union
- TEU: Massey University staff to go on strike over ‘insulting’ pay offer
- RMTU: Wellington public transport workers call a halt to industrial action
- RMTU: KiwiRail to cut jobs in Palmerston North and Napier
- First: Migrants struggle to find work in softening labour market
- STONZ: Closure of West Coast urgent care GP clinic will cause ‘significant risk’ – doctors’ union
Employment
- KiwiRail to cut jobs in Palmerston North and Napier
- Working from home: Would more public servants back at the office make a difference?
- Defence Force planning restructure to cut costs, as 200 civilian staff opt for voluntary redundancy
- 59 jobs to go at GNS Science
- Migrants struggle to find work in softening labour market
- Māori, Pasifika and disabled missing from manufacturing, engineering and logistics
- Minimum teacher-child ratios not good enough for two-year-olds – unions
Politics
- Foreign Minister Winston Peters and former PM Helen Clark united on failings of UN Security Council
- Cabinet has not discussed Interislander ferries replacement – Willis
- Interislander: Winston Peters wants rail on ferries, National isn’t so sure
- Gas industry boasts about killing proposed ban with lobbying
- Labour considers UK and Australian-style ‘new deal’ for workers
Te Ao Māori
- A new exhibition breathes life into te reo Māori documents
- Death of an iwi radio stalwart: Cyril Chapman
- Marae keen to re-engage with council
Economics
- KiwiSavers’ $200,000 mistake
- KiwiSaver ‘coming of age’ with strong growth in savings
- Confidence in job market falls to lowest since first Covid lockdown
- NZ economy declines: GDP update shows 0.2% fall