Official newspaper of FIRST Union
www.firstunion.org.nz
Living Wage Launched Page 5
March 2013
Patience at Wickliffe Page 4
Photos from the heart Page 15
Record membership
at Countdown
WE ARE UNION: Rolleston Countdown workers (left to right) Jordan Vincent, Sonia Brougham (delegate) and Byrn Marychurch
Union membership at
Countdown stores has hit
its highest numbers since
the days of compulsory
unionism.
There are now 6100 union
members in 168 Countdown
stores covering the length of
the country.
FIRST Union Countdown
coordinator Tali Williams
said all Countdown workers
who were union members
on January 29 qualified for a
three per cent wage increase
but non-members had to
wait for a further two
months before they received
it.
“We set out to make sure
all non-members understood that if they joined the
union they would pick up
this increase,” she said. “We
had a series of posters and
pamphlets, we put out a
newsletter and mobilised all
our organisers, delegates
and recruiters.”
A Waitangi Day hamper
full of goodies was put up as
a prize for the store in each
of the Northern, Central and
Southern
regions
that
recruited the most new
members.
Hampers were won by the
Greenlane store in the
Northern region, Paraparaumu in the Central
region and Rolleston in the
Southern region.
Rolleston store delegate
Sonia Brougham said it was
exciting that people are seeing the sense in joining the
union.
“I am utterly blown away!
We love it that so many have
joined the union and it will
make all the difference to
our strength in the future.”
Tali Williams said the
surge in membership came
at a good time.
“We are going into
bargaining at the end of
May with a lot of Countdown workers behind us and
that’s a good position to be
in,” she said.v
INSIDE :
• Forestry crisis –p 8 & 9
• Union doing well at call centre–p2
Page 2
FIRST LOCAL NEWS
Union Express | March–2013
Full index
Sections
FIRST News
3,7,11
Community news
4
International news
6
Reunionise Forestry
8–9
Feature articles–Progressive/History
10
Your rights –Legal
12
Union business
13
Perspectives & Letters to Editor
14
Fun page
15
Notices/Union News/Services
16
ews
5
Slane cartoon
7
In the community
4
Feature
1
Your legal teamFeature
12
Training education dates
-
Migrant gets justiceur rights
14
General Secretaryerspectives
14
Sudoku/caption contest
15
www.firstunion.org.nz
Union buzzing at call centre
Young workers are joining the union in droves at the ANZ
Australia Call Centre in Wellington.
FIRST Union delegate Andrew Duncan said a jump in membership from 20 to 60 in a 12 month period proves you can unionise in
areas where the workers are predominantly in the 18–25 year old age
group.
“The major reason people are joining is we deal with the minor
issues that affect people like helping them if they are turned down
for annual leave and that sort of issue,” he said. “After a while people
start thinking if they have got a problem they should go to the union.
They are realising they are getting a good deal where before they
might not have seen it as worth the money belonging to the union.”
The site now has eight delegates, three have received delegate
training and the others are looking forward to developing their skills
in the role at delegate training in March.
“What we have found really works for recruitment of new union
members is the delegates doing it,” Andrew said. “They approach
the people they are working with and go ‘here’s what the union is
about, here’s why I joined and why you should join’. It’s the personal
touch from someone local.”
The delegates have set a target of having 100 members in the next
12 months and going by their present rate of recruitment they look
set to achieve it.
“We are averaging two new members a week, every week like
clockwork, so we should hit our target,” Andrew said.
PERSONAL TOUCH: Delegate Andrew Duncan
Editor– Bill Bradford
Contributors–Amie Maga, Sam Huggard, Edward Miller,
Sue Bradford and FIRST Union staff
Authorised by FIRST Union,
120 Church Street, Onehunga.
Submissions
We actively encourage membership participation
in your newspaper, the Express. You may fax, email
or dictate a story for the Express. We are here to help.
Next submission due date: May 2013
All comments, letters to the editor, artwork, poetry,
photos, ideas, stories should be sent to the following
contacts.
Contact us
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0800 863 477
Fax: (09) 622 8353 attention Union Express
They’re taking our jobs away
“It’s the most ridiculous idea
I’ve heard” said one laundry
worker at Wellington hospital
about the news that the District
Health Board wanted to close
the laundry, with the loss of up
to 40 jobs.
Instead of investing in new
machinery or upgrading existing plant, Capital & Coast DHB
have told staff they want to
close the laundry and outsource
the work, with one option being
a contract with a commercial
laundry in Palmerston North.
Union members at the laundry made their views known,
with most staff writing submissions to management against the
proposal.
“Some people have been here
30 or 40 years, flogged their
guts out for the hospital, and
then they’re treated like just a
number. It’s bloody disgusting,” laundry worker Geoff
Buckley said.
“It’s a good team here, a good
atmosphere. People have got
kids and mortgages. They’re
taking our jobs away,” he said.
Another laundry worker, Lagi
Kosena, questioned whether the
needs of all the other services
that the hospital laundry did
work for, such as other hospitals
and local rest homes had been
taken into account also.
A small amount of laundry
work is already sent to Palmerston North, and workers at the
site were concerned about
delays if it was all outsourced.
The workers said sometimes
if the truck has broken down or
been delayed, it wouldn’t arrive
till after 2.00pm or later, when
it’s needed at 9.00am leaving the
wards waiting unnecessarily.
Laundry staff are waiting to
hear the response to their submissions from hospital management.
Address: 120 Church Street, Onehunga
Postal Address: Private Bag 92904, Auckland
Subscriptions: [email protected]
(09) 622 8520
Change of address: 0800 863 477
Photos
For FIRST photos, visit: www.flickr.com/photos/ndu
Disclaimer
Opinions expressed in the articles do not necessarily
represent the views of the FIRST Union.
FIRST Union
The FIRST Union is a democratic organisation run by
working people for working people. We organise for
a better future and for respect for ourselves and our
families through building power on the job, in our
industries and our community.
ANXIOUS TIMES: Devi Morar, Geoff Buckley and Lagi Kosena (left to right) with submissions to the Wellington DHB management
Page 3
Union Express | March–2013
–BRIEFS
nPoor Kiwis Left Behind
FIRST LOCAL NEWS
www.firstunion.org.nz
Summit Closure ‘Devastating’
A state of the nation report released by the
Salvation Army says the Government is not
doing enough to reduce child poverty, create
jobs or improve housing affordability.
Salvation Army spokesman Major Campbell
Roberts said with almost 300,000 people
jobless and 150,000 others moving to
Australia since 2007 alarm bells should be
ringing. The findings of the report showed
New Zealand had not learnt from history and
did not have the right leadership to overcome
problems.
nGovernment Turns Its Back on Living Wage
Prime Minister John Key said the idea of a
living wage is very subjective and it is up to
the employers whether they choose to pay it.
“It’s like the minimum wage,” he said. “I
mean some people who are on the minimum
wage have it as a starting out point and it’s a
very important stepping-stone to where they
go; for others its more their long term-pay
because of the nature of the job they’re
doing.”
nPublic Sector Cuts Increase
Unemployment
Figures from the State Services Commission
on core public service staffing show that 477
full time jobs were lost in the Wellington
region between June 2008 and June 2012.
Unemployment in the capital rose to an 18
year high of 7.9 per cent in the December
2012 quarter and is now much higher than
the national average.
The PSA says Wellington is unlikely to see
any improvement in these figures unless the
Government changes its mind on public
sector cutbacks. Brenda Pilott from the PSA
said there are still a number of reviews and
restructuring going on in large agencies such
as the Ministry of Justice where job losses
have already been signalled. Government
underfunding of many community service
providers also means many are struggling to
stay open.
DEVASTATED: FIRST Union delegate Sharon Solomon
On January 31 Summit
Wool Spinners announced
the closure of its Oamaru
mill with the loss of 192
jobs.
Sharon Solomon, FIRST
Union head delegate at the
plant and Southern Textile
representative on the
union’s national executive
said the workers at the
mill are devastated.
“Most of the workers
have lost a big chunk of
their household income
because
often
both
husband and wife work at
the mill,” she said. “The
population of Oamaru is
only 13,000 and Summit
was the second largest
employer in the town. The
closure will take about
$11 million in wages out
of the town’s economy.”
Sharon said the closure
was not entirely unexpected.
“There have been warning signs for about three
years and we have had two
previous rounds of redundancy. The company has
been making huge losses
because of the high
exchange rate and the
Canterbury
Spinners,
whose
Christchurch
factory was destroyed in
the earthquake, and Sharon hopes they may be able
to provide jobs for some of
the laid off workers in the
future.
“A lot of the workers
went to the mill straight
from school and are hoping some jobs might
become available there
again,” she said.
Workers had a redundancy agreement and will
also be paid an extra $1000
retention payment if they
work their three week
notice period out.
Work and Income and
IRD have visited the mill
to give advice and the
Aoraki Polytechnic has
offered to waive fees for
any of the workers who
wish to take courses.
FIRST Union is trying
to negotiate with the Government for further assistance and support with job
searching for the workers.
Toll Global Forwarding workers join FIRST
Workers at Mangere based company Toll Global Forwarding
have joined FIRST Union and
are bargaining for their first Collective Agreement.
Union delegate Leo Fugo has
been working for the company
for 10 years and said changes in
company management had led
the workers to look at their situation and consider union membership.
“We contacted the union and a
meeting was called. After listening to Jared (FIRST Union
organiser Jared Abbott) we
decided to join the union there
and then.”
Leo works a 2.00 am to midday
shift but gets no shift allowance
or penal rates.
“What we found out about how
we compared to other freight forwarding companies was quite
shocking,” he said. “It looks like
we have been short changed for
years. The company has been
making profits and we have been
very loyal but the lads really want
penal rates now.”
nKFC Worker Seriously Burned
Unite Union is calling for improved workplace
safety after a KFC worker was severely
burned when an oil vat exploded, splashing
fat on to him. Unite Union says fast food
workers need more health and safety
protection and rights. National Director Mike
Treen said there are few protections and
workers are often fearful of enforcing their
rights because we still don’t have guaranteed
hours in the industry.
nHollywood Not Happy
Hollywood heavyweights Warner Bros. have told
the Government they will jeopardise future film
investment if sensitive information about the deal to
make the “Hobbit ” in New Zealand is revealed. The
Government bought in new legislation to strip
workers on the film of employment rights prior to
the making of the film.
Warners were responding to news the
Ombudsman had ordered the release of documents
the CTU and Radio New Zealand had been refused
access to by the Government. The documents
include emails between Warner Bros. New Line
studio and Sir Peter Jackson’s Wingnut Films. CTU
president Helen Kelly said, “They can threaten all
they like. The Ombudsman’s looked into it and says
their argument is rubbish.”
downturn in the demand
for carpet yarn.”
The chances of finding
another job in the town are
slim, Sharon said, “The
jobs that are around are
part-time or casual. A few
of the workers have gone
into the freezing works for
the rest of the season but
they will be looking for
work again soon. People
will have to leave Oamaru
but who will buy or rent
their houses?”
The plant has been
bought
by
Godfrey
Hirst
subsidiary
NEW UNION SITE: New delegate Leo Fugo
Page 4
Union Express | March–2013
COMMUNITY NEWS
www.firstunion.org.nz
Beneficiary ‘Impact’ held in Onehunga
By Sarah Thompson–AAAP
Leading up to the financially
stressed Christmas period, Auckland Action Against Poverty held
its first beneficiary ‘impact’ in
December.
Over three days, dozens of advocates from around the country
worked tirelessly outside the Onehunga Work and Income office,
helping local unemployed people
and beneficiaries get their full
entitlements.
Work and Income put on 12
extra staff to cope with the influx.
In total we spoke with over 200
people, nearly all of whom left better off than when they arrived,
receiving things like food grants,
advances for essential items like
washing machines and fridges,
increases in allowances for disability costs and, in some cases,
reinstatement of benefits and back
pay.
Some of the things we found
during the impact were:
• Good long-standing employees pushed out of jobs, then told
they have to wait 13 weeks to get
the unemployment benefit – when
in fact their stand down should
only be the minimum 1– 2 weeks
after holiday pay is taken into
account.
• Sole parents who had been
denied access to the full rate of
DPB for years because there is no
one at Work and Income who cares
enough to advise them fully and
clearly of their rights.
• Many whose income from
their benefit comes nowhere near
BLAME THE SYSTEM NOT THE VICTIM: FIRST Union organiser Jared Abbott with Davinia Abbott and baby Hendrix
what they need for the most basic
elements of survival, including
food – yet who are refused extra
assistance until they undertake so
called budgeting activities, such
activities simply demonstrating
over and over again that
their income is fundamentally
insufficient.
• Unemployed people pushed
into daily ‘job search’ activities
which are totally meaningless,
harassing fed up businesses for
jobs to meet their quotas.
A political rally was held on the
second day with John Minto
(Mana), Jan Logie (Green Party)
and Jacinda Ardern (Labour)
speaking about their parties’ welfare policies. We greatly appreciated the support we received at the
rally from both FIRST and the
Service and Food Workers Unions.
To find out more about AAAP,
to join, or if you need help with a
benefit inquiry, get hold of us at:
[email protected] or phone
(09) 6340591
—Stroke in New Zealand—
Stroke is the third largest killer
in New Zealand (about 2000
people every year).
• Around 10 percent of stroke
deaths occur in people under 65.
• Every day about 21 New
Zealanders have a stroke. A
quarter occur in people under 65.
• Stroke is the major cause of
adult disability in New Zealand.
• Stroke is largely preventable,
yet about 7600 strokes occur in
New Zealand every year. A third
of these are fatal. There are an
estimated 60,000 stroke survivors
in New Zealand. Many are
disabled and need significant
daily support.
• However, stroke recovery can
continue throughout life.
• Most people can’t recognise
the signs of a stroke occurring.
Make sure you are aware of the
signs to look for.
• High blood pressure is a major
cause of strokes. One in five New
Zealanders has high blood
pressure, and a third of these
don’t know it. Reducing your
blood pressure can greatly reduce
stroke risk.
• Stroke is a medical emergency
but many New Zealanders do not
have access to the best possible
stroke hospital services.
Common first symptoms
include:
• sudden weakness and/or
numbness of face, arm and/or leg
especially on one side of the body
• sudden blurred or loss of
vision in one or both eyes
• sudden difficulty speaking or
understanding what others are
saying
• sudden dizziness, loss of
balance or difficulty controlling
movements.
Learn the FAST check below.
Stroke is medical emergency.
Call 111 immediately if you find
yourself – or see anyone else
suffering from stroke symptoms.
Stroke prevention
There are some simple things
you can do to reduce the chance
of having a stroke:
• Get your blood pressure
checked.
• Stop smoking – support is available by
calling the Smoking
Quit-line on 0800 778
778.
• Exercise regularly.
• Limit the amount of
alcohol you drink. The
good news is studies
show drinking up to two
alcoholic drinks a day
can reduce the risk of
stroke. Any more can
increase it though.
• Lower your cholesterol – get your choles-
terol levels checked out.
• Find out if you have atial
fibrillation which is a type of
irregular heartbeat which
increases the risk of stroke. See
your doctor if you suspect you
have this.
• Control your weight.
Page 5
Union Express | March–2013
NATIONAL BRIEFS
UNION MOVEMENT
www.firstunion.org.nz
$18.40 living wage announced
nManufacturing inquiry
Labour, the Greens, NZ FIRST and Mana
have launched an inquiry into manufacturing, a sector which has seen 40,000 jobs
lost since 2008. It was announced at a Jobs
Crisis Summit organised by the EPMU in
October. FIRST Union General Secretary
Robert Reid said an inquiry into manufacturing won’t bring back the thousands of
jobs already lost in the past three or four
years, but it will draw attention to the jobs
crisis facing manufacturing, and what can
be done about it.
nKiwiRail redundancies
158 KiwiRail workers are to lose their jobs,
following cutbacks announced by the State
Owned Enterprise. The Rail and Maritime
Transport Union pushed KiwiRail to take
volunteers for redundancy and to not fill
vacancies, and this has meant that the total
number of compulsory redundancies is
down to 29. Union general secretary
Wayne Butson said KiwiRail was the victim
of poor government policy. “We have an
opportunity to create employment and
build a world class integrated transport
system using rail, and instead we’re
running it into the ground,” he said.
TIME FOR A LIVING WAGE: The living wage campaign is gaining support
nMore jobs lost in wood processing
Carter Holt Harvey has informed staff it
plans to cut around 70 jobs in Rotorua and
Tokoroa before Christmas. The EPMU said
the company was proposing to cut 18
positions at its Tokoroa plywood plant and
to close Rotorua Profiles plant at a cost of
more than 50 jobs including contractors.
The company has cited a fall in demand
from export markets in Australia and a lack
of new builds in New Zealand as the reason
for the redundancies.
nTravel time for home support workers should be paid
One year after winning the historic case for
payment of sleepovers for disability the
SFWU support workers, another landmark
case. with the Employment Relations
Authority to begin the legal fight for home
support workers to be paid travel time.
Thousands of other home support workers,
get paid for the time they spend at a
client’s house, but not all the time they
spend driving from client to client. They
are paid an allowance for mileage, but
nothing for the considerable time spent
travelling. The Human Rights Commission
Equal Opportunity Commissioner, Judy
McGregor, backed the claim.
The living wage should be set at
$18.40 an hour according to a
major report launched on 14 February by the Living Wage Campaign.
The new wage level is the minimum amount researchers believe a
family of two adults and two children needs to survive. It is nearly
$5 an hour more than the current
minimum wage.
Around 750,000 workers in
New Zealand earn less than $18.40
an hour, many of them members
of FIRST Union.
FIRST Union is part of the campaign for a living wage, and union
representatives were out in force
at the two day conference in Auckland timed to coincide with the
announcement of the new rate.
Next steps in the campaign
include putting pressure on major
employers like councils and universities to bring all their workers
up to at least the living wage,
including people working for contractors.
First Union General Secretary
Robert Reid said the union is
proud to campaign alongside community and faith groups and other
unions for a living wage.
“We are looking forward to promoting not only the concept but to
getting some real wins on the
board in coming years,” he said.
P r e c a r i a t – A ‘D a n g e r o u s ? C l a s s :
Guy Standing at the Living Wage conference
One of the most inspiring speakers at the Living Wage conference
was Guy Standing, a radical economist from the UK.
Guy Standing
Guy talked about the rise of a new
class he calls the ‘precariat’ workers in casual, insecure, part
time and temporary work who
can’t rely on any form of steady,
long
term
employment.
Migrant workers are often part of
the precariat.
He calls the precariat a
‘dangerous class’ because in
rejecting the old agendas of
the centre right and centre
left, some are attracted to
neofascism.
The precariat is also dangerous in another and far
more positive way, with
many of its young members
bringing a ‘fantastic energy’
to the struggle for redistribution of knowledge, power
and resources, as exemplified by recent movements
like Occupy and the Indignados in Spain.
Guy spoke of the need for
unions to recognise the
emerging precariat class, adopting
appropriate new forms of collective action, and going beyond
‘labourism’ to a society which
respects all forms of work and leisure, not just the old 9 – 5 model.
He finished with a strong call for
“unions and all progressives to
look at the idea of a Universal
Basic Income again, basic income
as a right … an end to means testing and coercion, with taxes
clawed back from the rich.”
For more information about
Guy Standing, the precariat and
the Universal Basic Income go
to:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
commentisfree/2011/jun/01/
voice-for-emerging-precariat
and: http://www.guystanding.
com/files/documents/CDHE_
Standing.pdf
Page 6
Union Express | March–2013
INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS
nMexican Bata workers in long struggle
A group of workers in Mexico at Calzado
Sandak, a subsidiary of the Bata Shoe Company,
have kept watch outside the factory for
eighteen months after the company tried to
close its unionised plant illegally and shift
production to homeworkers or small
workshops. The Sindicato Unico de Trabajadores de Calzado Sandak is demanding the
plant reopen and is keeping watch outside the
factory to prevent the removal of machinery.
Many of them are ill, as a result of years of
using toxic substances without protection, and
they have now been denied medical attention
because the company has cut off their social
security. In August one of the striking workers
María Luisa Hernández Moreno was knocked
about by a security guard and without medical
attention her health deteriorated. Six weeks
later she was dead.
INTERNATIONAL UNION MOVEMENT
IndustriALL condemns
conviction of Somyot in Thailand
nAustralian jobs plan
The Australian Government has announced A
Plan for Australian Jobs which will see a $1
billion investment in innovation, productivity
and competitiveness aimed at generating
business opportunities and economic growth.
The plan has three core strategies: Backing
Australian industry to win more work at home
which provides legislation and regulation to
give local industry opportunities to win work
on major projects, supporting Australian
industry to win new business abroad,
establishing 10 industry innovation precincts
to drive business innovation and growth, and
helping Australian small and medium
businesses to grow and create jobs which will
include a range of mechanisms for encouraging
small business growth.
nMore Greek strikes against austerity
www.firstunion.org.nz
HARSH SENTENCE: Trade unionists around the world condemn the treatment of Somyot Prueksakasemsuk
IndustriALL Global Union condemns the conviction of Somyot
Prueksakasemsuk over ‘lese
majeste’ offences under article
112 of the Criminal Code, with
the 11 year jail sentence by a Thai
Criminal Court on 23 January
2013.
In a scathing attack on human
rights and freedom of speech, a
Thai criminal court found Somyot
Prueksakasemsuk – trade unionist, social activist and journalist in
Thailand – guilty of ‘lese majeste’
offences for publishing two articles
critical
of
the
monarchy, in his Voice of Takshin,
In Greece tens of thousands took part in their
first general strike against austerity in 2013.
Crowds marched on the parliament in Athens
as part of a 24 hour strike. Minor clashes broke
out when police fired tear gas at youths
throwing stones. The strike was called by
Greece’s two biggest unions. The strikers were
protesting about pensions, emergency taxes
and the high cost of living. llias lloppousos,
general secretary of Adedy public sector union
warned a social explosion is very near in Greece,
where the government has imposed a vicious
austerity programme on the working class to
Electrolux management in Thaipay for the bailout of an economy wrecked by
land locked up over 100 workbankers and bosses.
ers, including a pregnant
nMurderer sentenced for killing
woman, for eight hours. They
unionists
then sacked 127 workers includColombian judge William Andrés Castiblanco
ing the local union president.
sentenced Jaime Blanco, a former contractor
On 11 January 2013 Electrolux
for the Alabama-based Drummond Co. Inc. coal Thailand management called a
company, to 37 years and 11 months in prison
meeting of all workers in the
for masterminding the March 2001 murders of Rayong plant and announced a
two union leaders in the northern department two-month bonus but refused to
of Cesar.
discuss the workers’ demands
The court found that Blanco, who supplied
for fair wage increases and perfood services for Drummond’s La Loma mine,
manent employment for agency
had arranged with rightwing paramilitaries for workers after they have worked
the killing of Valmore Locarno and Víctor Hugo at the plant for six months.
Orcasita, leaders of the mine’s union. Blanco’s
Instead they forcibly removed
assistant, Jairo Charris, was convicted in 2009
the union president from the
in the same murder plot and was sentenced to meeting, throwing him onto the
30 years. In an April 2011 interview Blanco told street and dismissing him. The
the Associated Press wire service that
workers sat on the floor and
Drummond senior managers ordered the
demanded his reinstatement.
murders of Locarno and Orcasita and that if he
Management then called secuwas convicted, they would be able to “wash
rity and the police and surtheir hands” of the case.
rounded the workers, preventing
the magazine he edited.
He was sentenced to an 11 year
jail term including five-year jail
terms for each article and cancellation of suspension of a one year
jail sentence issued 3 years before.
Somyot was arrested in April
2011 and has undergone prolonged
pre-trial detention as his bail plea
was denied by the courts 12 times.
He was presented in court on several occasions wearing shackles
as if he were a dreaded criminal.
Trade unionists, human rights
and civil society activists across
the world, including European
Union, UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights and Amnesty
International, condemned the
conviction and severe punishment
of Somyot.
It is important to note that he
was arrested one year after the
publication of those two articles.
More significantly after five days
of launching a petition seeking
review of Article 112, he was
arrested under the same law. Article 112 of the Criminal Code,
states that, “whoever defames,
insults or threatens the King, the
Queen, the Heir-apparent or the
Regent, shall be punished with
imprisonment of 3 to 15 years.”
Human rights defenders in
Thailand believe that the government has been using the ‘lese
majeste’ law under article 112 to
silence its critics and called for
immediate suspension and revision of ‘lese majeste law’.
“IndustriALL joins the EU and
UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights and Amnesty
International in protesting for
Somyot’s release, based upon the
United Nations Human Rights
Charter on Freedom of Expression,” said Jyrki Raina, General
Secretary of IndustriALL.
FIRST Union is affiliated to
IndustriALL through its clothing,
textile, energy and recycling
workers. General Secretary Robert Reid has visited Somyot in jail
twice and in late January 2013
Green Party MP Jan Logie also
visited him.
This story is adapted from the
IndustriALL website. For further international stories from
IndustriALL go to: http://www.
industriall-union.org/
Electrolux imprisons & sacks workers in Thailand
them from leaving for
eight hours. Finally
the workers
were
released one by one
but
when
they
returned to work on
14 January 127 of
them were given written dismissal notices.
Since the union
was
formed
in
February 2011, local
management
has
ignored their core
rights at every opportunity.
In
2012
Electrolux
even
applied
for,
and
received, an award
for ‘Best Company in
the category of nonLOCKED UP: Electrolux workers from the Rayong plant
u n i o n i s e d
workplace 2012’. IndustriALL represent Electrolux workers workers and return to the
General Secretary Jyrki Raina in Sweden have called on Elec- collective bargaining table.
and the IF Metal union which trolux to reinstate the sacked
Page
Page77
FIRST NEWS
Union
2013
UnionExpress
Express||March
March–2013
www.firstunion.org.nz
www.firstunion.org.nz
Patience pays off
When Auckland print firm Wickliffe became insolvent workers
were presented with a new individual employment agreement on
a take it or leave it basis.
The old company was gone so
the Collective Agreement lapsed
and the new employer could decide
whether or not to give jobs to the
workers.
“We were all given an employment contract and a week to read
it. If you didn’t sign it then it was
goodbye,” said long serving Wickliffes employee Brian Slade.
“We had a woman here who
didn’t sign it. She turned up for
work one day and they said we
have no work for you. The union
chased the old company for the
redundancy she was entitled to but
the family who owned the company were insolvent so there was
no money.”
Under the new individual agreement workers lost a lot of conditions
including
redundancy
entitlements and long service
leave but their pay was left the
same.
For three years workers had no
pay rises but they kept their union
membership up.
LONG WAIT IS OVER: Union members at Wickliffe are happy with their new agreement
Brian said they were living on
hope until FIRST Union organiser
Graham McKean initiated bargaining for a new agreement a few
months ago.
Now they have a new agreement
with a pay increase of 1.85 per cent
CEVA Logistics
join union
starting in February 2013 for 10
months and a further 1.5 per cent
starting in November 2013 for a
further eight months giving a total
of 3.35 per cent over an 18 month
term.
Workers are hopeful they can
Slane’s View
continue to make progress towards
regaining what they have lost now
the company is stable again.
Judy Hakai has been with the
company for nearly 15 years, the
last five as union delegate.
“People have had their individ-
ual niggles but they have stuck
together,” she said. “Now we just
have to see what we can achieve
each year.”
slane.co.nz
LOOKING GOOD: CEVA workers check out agreement
Workers at CEVA Logistics near
Auckland airport are well on their
way to getting their first collective
agreement. Site delegate Felise
Kalolo said eight months ago there
was no union on site and workers
were feeling very insecure and
unsure about their rights in the
workplace.
“We didn’t know where we stood
on some things and felt we couldn’t
go to management over them,” he
said.
Felise said the bargaining is
addressing things like redundancy
which there was no provision for
previously, the starting rate, clarifying hours of work and a pay rise.
“Bargaining dragged on a bit
because of the Christmas break but
we are happy with the way things
are progressing now,” he said.
25 Cents won’t pay the rent
The new minimum wage announced
by the Government on February 26
will be $13.75 an hour, an increase of
just 25 cents.
Robert Reid, General Secretary of
FIRST Union said 13.75 is an
absolute insult to hundreds of
thousands of low paid workers.
“It is completely impossible for a
family to live on two full time
minimum wage incomes, let alone if
one parent is out of the paid work-
force looking after children,” he said.
“Our poverty wages see families
going without food and proper
housing, and whole communities
being ripped off by dodgy loan
sharks as it becomes the measure of
last resort in desperation.”
Robert said workers coming
together in unions can lift their
wages above the minimum rate but
for the many workers currently
without access to unions, a floor
Time to unionise our
forestry workers
T
he privatisation of New Zealand’s vast state forests
in the 1980s and the introduction of the Employment
Contracts Act in the 1991 have left forestry workers
de-unionised, isolated, underpaid and working in unsafe
conditions. FIRST Union is the union for the wood sector
and has begun a campaign to establish decent work for
forestry workers. Visit our website for more information
http://firstunion.org.nz/forestry
Forest owners threaten NZ’s reputation
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is one of the world’s leading forest certification bodies. Over 85% of New Zealand’s forests are
certified by the FSC. It certifies that wood coming from forests has been suitably harvested and that forest owners abide by ethical
environmental, social and cultural standards. The social standards require that the “role and function of Unions is facilitated at all
times”.
New Zealand forestry has been plagued by major accidents and deaths since the corporatisation and privatisation of the forests from the
late 1980s. Since 2008, 23 forestry workers have been killed at work and there have been more that 879 serious accidents.
Also since corporatisation and privatisation the forest owners, managers and contractors have colluded to try and keep unions from
even talking to forestry workers. FIRST Union (through the Wood Industries Union of Aotearoa) used to have hundreds of forestry
workers as members. Today we have hardly any.
With the support of the Council of Trade Unions, FIRST Union has been attempting to re-engage with forestry workers and talk to
them about health and safety issues given the high death and injury rate in the forests. However the forest owners, managers and
contractors, in spite of commitments made under FSC to facilitate unions to meet with workers, decided to lock the CTU and FIRST
Union out of the round of government funded “Safe Start” breakfasts for forestry workers throughout the country early this year. More
recent meetings between the CTU, FIRST Union and the Forest Owners Association and Forest Industry Cotractors Association have
failed to lift this “lockout”.
Fatigue–
These actions of forest owners and contractors make a mockery of the commitments made under the FSC standard. It also makes a
mockery of the government’s claim that it will be, “actively engaging unions and worker representatives to ensure crew members are
involved in the development of health and safety systems.”
The failure of the forest owners to facilitate the role and function of unions and organise forestry works threatens their FSC certification which in turn will threaten the premium that the owners can charge for FSC certificated products.
FIRST Union General Secretary Robert Reid commented, “Forest owners and managers are now caught in a bind – they can either
continue to deny unions access to workers and risk take a financial hit by losing FSC certification, or they can let unions in the door to
start constructively addressing the issues of health and safety and low pay.”
the silent killer
Forest owners and the government have consistently blamed accidents in forestry on drugs and alcohol.
What they rarely mention is the role of fatigue.
FSC is one of the largest forest certification bodies in the world, designed to ensure the environmental and social elements of forestry
are up to standard. National and international standards include facilitating the role of unions to ensure workers get a fair go. The
Programme for the Endorsement of the Forest Certification (PEFC) also provides a similar certification scheme with provisions on
union access, although it’s coverage in NZ is less than FSC.
Over the last ten years the rate of harvest has skyrocketed while the total number of forestry workers
has actually dropped. Because of low rates of pay, forestry workers need to work long hours to make
ends meet. These longer and harder hours of work means a greater likelihood of fatigue, increasing the
risk of accidents.
• Every day a forestry worker expends as much energy as a marathon runner.
• In a 2002 survey, 78% of forestry workers reported sometimes experiencing fatigue, while 19%
experienced it often or always.
Health and Safety in Forestry
What Killed Ken Callow?
T
he CTU has launched a YouTube clip and campaign aimed at trying to get the Government to agree to an inquiry into the forestry
industry, and to implement health and safety and employment standards that stop the deaths and injuries of forestry workers.
CTU President Helen Kelly said, “Forestry is the most dangerous industry in New Zealand. In 2013 there have already been two
deaths. Since 2008, 23 workers have died and almost 900 have been seriously injured. Each death is a family, community, and workplace
losing someone who was loved. Each injury is someone’s life being changed forever by something that happened at work. We need to bring
attention to this. The government and the industry need to step up and stop this from happening.”
The CTU YouTube clip is of Caroline and Roger Callow talking about the tragic death of their son, Ken Callow, at work. The One Big
Voice website is being used to raise funds for a billboard campaign to draw attention to the dangers in the sector. View ‘What killed Ken
Callow at www.firstunion.org.nz/forestry or www.whatkilledkencallow.org.nz and show your support for the workers who risk
their lives each day they go to work in the New Zealand’s forests.
• Already in 2013 there have been two deaths and three major injuries in
our forests.
• 23 forestry workers have
died and 879 have been
injured since 2008.
• A New Zealand forestry
worker is 6 times as likely
to die at work than a UK
forestry worker, and twice
as likely as an Australian
forestry worker.
Page 10
Union Express | March–2013
Progressive/History
www.firstunion.org.nz
Global V-Day Action against Poverty
and Violence against Women
A GLOBAL MOVEMENT: Bastion Point gathering
By Amie Maga
On Thursday February 14 people
in Aotearoa joined women and
men around the globe in demanding an end to poverty and violence against women.
In Auckland the Wise Women
Collective led the noon-time
dance gathering at Bastion Point
to join the global movement of 1
BILLION PEOPLE RISING.
Organiser Helen Te Hira said,
“As we join One Billion Rising to
end violence against women and
family, we give our full support to
the Living Wage campaign
launched by the unions and
communities”.
Whaea Huri Henare opened the
gathering with her karakia. Over
60 participants passionate about
the protection of family from violence danced to the tune of Moana
Maniapoto’s “Black Pearl.”
They included members of Wise
Women Collective, Coalition for
the Safety and Protection of
Women and Children, Women’s
International League for Peace
and Freedom (WILPF), Pasadena
Intermediate School, Nga Kakano
Secondary School, Te Atatu
Peninsula Intermediate School,
The Pacific Project, Ngati Hine
Iwi members, Nga Puhi Iwi mem-
bers, Migrante Aotearoa, Pinay
Aotearoa, Human Rights Commission, Nga Whare Pora Hou,
NZ Mental Health Foundation,
Massey University, Auckland
University Tertiary Education
Union branch members, FIRST
Union, Service and Food Workers
Union (SFWU) and Unite Union.
“We believe that addressing
joblessness is crucial for many
women and families at risk espe-
cially in times of prolonged joblessness and below standard
wages. Poverty wages and rising
unemployment definitely bring
greater stress and can be a contributing factor to rising domestic
violence,” Helen Te Hira said.
Page 11
Union Express | March–2013
FIRST LOCAL NEWS
www.firstunion.org.nz
Foodstuffs drivers dumped
Drivers at the Foodstuffs owned
Route and Retail Distribution are
looking for a new job after the
company decided to replace them
with owner drivers.
The Wiri based company has
told the drivers they can become
owner drivers if they want to but it
is not an offer any of them are
keen on taking up.
FIRST Union delegate James
Canti said it would be too expensive and too risky for most of the
drivers to buy their own truck.
“A truck could cost up to
$450,000” he said. “For drivers
earning around $19 an hour at
present it would mean putting
your house up for security if you
had one. Then there is always the
risk when you are contracting to
one company of being given a
notice of cessation of contract and
being left holding a very expensive truck with no work for it.”
The drivers have a union negotiated redundancy agreement which
will help see them through to their
next job.
Some of them have found jobs
with other owner drivers and contractors to the company but others
are still seeking work.
James said the company told the
workers they wanted to change
their operational model to create
efficiencies.
“They didn’t say what those
efficiencies might be. Basically
they seem to have decided to
upgrade their fleet without having
to pay for it,” he said.
REDUNDANT: Route and Retail delegate James Canti
Process important during change
It is inevitable that from time to time businesses will change hands or branches of large chains will be sold. The closure or takeover of a workplace is always a stressful time
for workers and how it is handled makes all the difference to how smooth the transition to a new location or new owner is. A good process should involve full consultation
with workers and the protection of their jobs, conditions of work and service related entitlements. Good employers make sure this is the way it works but others show less
concern for their workers who end up with the short end of the stick. Below are examples of two very different approaches to managing change.
1.
Good process at
Countdown New Plymouth
Countdown stores are owned by
Progressive Enterprises who are
part of the Australian based
Woolworths group.
The company has a single Collective Agreement which sets out
the pay rates and terms and conditions of employment for all FIRST
Union members in its stores
throughout the country.
There is a redundancy agreement in the Collective Agreement
and the company and union have a
2.
well functioning working relationship.
FIRST Union delegate Catherine Richards said management
called an all up meeting of workers after Christmas this year and
explained the lease was running
out because there are three other
Countdown stores in New Plymouth it had been decided to close
it down on March 3.
“We knew it was coming but it
was still a shock because we were
Mixed Bag at
Pak’ n Save
thinking it would be June or July
before it closed,” she said.
Catherine said despite workers’
concerns the process turned out to
be very positive.
“We were told we would keep
all our hours and nobody would
lose their rate of pay. We then had
individual meetings where I could
be present as a delegate if the
member wanted me to. At that
meeting workers could tell the
employer which of the three other
also part of the Foodstuffs group.
This means the union has to bargain separately with each store.
Because many of the stores are difficult to deal with workers at most
Pak’ n Save and New World stores
Each Pak’ n Save store is owned no national collective agreement are not unionised and many are paid
by a company that belongs to a with either the Pak’ n Save stores the minimum wage and their condiFoodstuffs cooperative. There is or the New World stores which are tions of employment tend to be at the legal minimum. As
far as the union knows,
only one Pak’ n Save
has provision for
redundancy pay and
although each store
says it is independent
they fiercely resist getting redundancy provisions
in
their
agreements on the
basis they will be setting a precedent for
other Pak’ n Save
stores.
The stores change
hands fairly frequently
ALDERMAN DRIVE PAK’nSAVE: Still trying to get conditions into collective
stores they preferred to work in,
their preferred hours and what
their needs because of things like
childcare were.”
About ten days later the company came back to each worker
with an offer which they had three
days to accept.
Catherine said there were a few
workers who did not accept the
offer for various reasons.
“In those cases we sat down and
had another talk and they reviewed
the situation and came back with
another offer,” she said.
The closure has been very emotional for some of the workers who
have been there many years and
have never worked anywhere else.
“I think one of the other stores
is going to make us a cake so we
can offer it to our customers to
thank them for their support,”
Catherine said.
and because the owners sell the
assets of the store rather than the
company, workers are left in a very
vulnerable position with few legal
protections.
Despite the enormous profitability of the stores workers have found
themselves losing out as a result of
a transfer of ownership.
Several years ago when Alderman Drive Pak’ n Save changed
hands workers who had been
employed at the store for many
years found themselves in the
ridiculous position of being treated
as if they had just started and had to
wait six months before they
qualified for any sick leave. All the
time they had served towards long
service leave was wiped out.
When the store changed hands
again last year the union was able
to get an undertaking from the outgoing owner that every worker
would keep their job and all
previous
service
related
entitlements would be recognised
as part of the condition of sale.
This has partly solved the
problem but because the collective
agreement lapses when a new company takes over a store the union
now has to negotiate a collective
with the new owner.
Manukau Pak’ n Save changed
hands at the end of last year. Partly
because the store was the only
Pak’ n Save with a redundancy
agreement, the old and new owners
agreed that workers will keep all
conditions, but the union still has
to negotiate a new collective agreement.
At the time of writing this the
process of getting the Manukau
union members back onto a
satisfactory collective agreement
is not going smoothly and it is
likely the union will have to take
some action over the matter.
Page 12
Union Express | March–2013
UNION BUSINESS
www.firstunion.org.nz
Your legal team–working for you
Oliver Christeller: Legal Services Coordinator
Grace Liu: Legal Organiser
FIRST Union employs a skilled legal team to work alongside the organisers and support staff to defend our members’ rights in the workplace. At any one time members
of our legal team will be working on a number of individual member’s cases as well
as working with organisers on larger structural problems around the behaviour of
particular employers. Below are some of the issues our legal staff are working on
with organisers.
Foodstuffs
Bill Bradford has oversight of the unions’ work with the Foodstuffs cooperative which
includes the Pak n’Save and New World stores as well as a range of other companies.
One of the companies under the Foodstuffs banner is a distribution centre in Roma Road,
Auckland. The Roma Road site has been dismissive of even basic employment rights. One
of these rights is the right of all staff to start the job with the same conditions of employment
as union members. They also need to be advised of their right to join the union and how to
contact them. Unfortunately this has not been the case resulting in some members being
underpaid and general inequality in the workplace. Efforts by the union to deal with this
matter have been unsuccessful.
“These are basic employment rights that apply to all employers. I find it hard to believe
that a well-resourced company did not know the law. Even after the union raised these issues
the company has continued not paying some staff properly. These workers work hard and
Gayaal Iddamalgoda: Legal Organiser
long hours and they are not millionaires,” Bill said.
“Because the company hasn’t been playing ball I have asked our legal team to take the
matter to the Employment Relations Authority. They have filed proceedings and I am confident we will win and get a fairer go for our members.”
Westpac
Bella Pardoe is the national advocate for the finance sector of the union. Bella said the
union has been concerned with the lack of respect and tolerance given to staff at Westpac.
Staff are often dismissed for small mistakes despite a lack of dishonesty and sometimes having long service.
“I feel the bank is too quick to dismiss people and the impact on these people’s lives is way
out of line with what is fair,” Bella said.
“Historically we have been able to sort matters out with Westpac, however, more recently
we have not been able to fairly resolve problems. We have already filed one matter in the
Employment Relations Authority and have a hearing date organised. With the Bank’s
approach I am expecting more matters to be filed and have already requested that this occur
in a number of dismissals that, quite frankly, I find way out of line.”
$1,500 AD&D
All members of our the Finance Sector are
now covered by a $1,500 Accidental Death &
Dismemberment Benefit. This is an automatic
membership benefit belonging to First Union
(Finance Sector).
Members also have the option to increase their
coverage an additional $10,000 which costs just
$2 for the first year. Please return the postage-paid
reply card to receive your certificate of coverage and
designate your beneficiary.
Please note: To qualify for the $10,000 of additional ADB
coverage, an AIL representative must visit you, obtain an
enrollment form and collect premium for the first year.
You may renew annually thereafter for $5.
www.ailife.com
Protecting Working Families
0800 894 121
Mario Soljan
AMERICAN INCOME LIFE
insurance company
Public Relations
[email protected]
Page 13
Union Express | March–2013
UNION BUSINESS
www.firstunion.org.nz
Putting a face to the name
At the request of a number of members we will be putting photos of FIRST Union organisers and
support staff in the Express over the next few issues. We are starting with the Central Region staff.
Sheryl Cadman: Central Region Secretary, Sam Huggard: Wellington Campaigns Officer, Bella Pardoe: Finance National Organiser Wellington, Alannah Knapp: Accounts Assistant, Wellington, : Rachel Pope: Membership Assistant, Wellington Gayaal Iddamalgoda:, Wellington Legal organiser, Barbara Moses: Executive Officer, Wellington, Gillian Magee:
Regional Industrial Administrator
Liz Sayers:
Organiser Finance, Wellington
Rebecca Neville: Administration Assistant, Wellington
Dion Martin: Organiser, Palmerston North
Colleen Ryan: Organiser, Gisborne
Kaye Hearfield: Organiser, Whanganui
Mike McNab: Organiser, Napier
Henry Fagaiava: Organiser, Wellington
Joe Kelly: Organiser, Wellington
Richie Morris: Organiser, Wellington
Dereck Picking: Organiser, PN
Page 14
Union Express | March–2013
PERSPECTIVES
www.firstunion.org.nz
Decent Work Programme comes alive
From the GENERAL SECRETARY–Robert Reid
FIRST Union’s Decent Work programme has come alive in 2013.
The campaign has four elements:
• Jobs for All
• Living Wage
• Secure work
• Decent work
This newspaper reports on the
announcement by the Living Wage
campaign, of which FIRST Union
is a member, of $18.40 as the current level of the Living Wage. In a
year of low inflation where
employers are trying to argue low
wage increases for their workers,
this figure of $18.40 is a wake up
call to employers as to how low
many wages are.
The Living Wage level was
announced during a conference on
Precarious Work in Auckland in
mid-February which discussed the
growing problem of the lack of
secure work. The NZ Herald did
major features all that week about
workers suffering under precarious work patterns (some of them
Migrant gets justice
FIRST Union and UNEMIG (Union Network of Migrants) have successfully intervened to get compensation for a Filipino migrant who
claims she was exploited by her New Zealand employer.
Agnes Malijan said she worked at an Auckland house for more than
65 hours a week for five years for a payment of $1200 a month and that
some fees were deducted even from that.
Her employer claimed she was not an employee but an aspiring student they helped out and owed them money, but in a complaint lodged
with the Employment Relations Authority Agnes said she was an overworked and underpaid domestic worker.
After Agnes contacted UNEMIG about her plight UNEMIG members visited her at her place of work and accompanied her to the home
of family friends where she stayed until a flight home could be arranged.
An out of court settlement between Agnes and her employer has
since been reached and she is now working in the family business in the
Philippines.
Agnes has written a letter to FIRST Union and UNEMIG which is
published here.
FIRST Union members). FIRST
Union is at the forefront of dealing
with these issues including casualisation, labour hire and underemployment (lack of hours).
On the issue of safe work,
FIRST Union has been concentrating its efforts on the forestry
sector this year where the first two
months have seen two forest
deaths and many more injuries.
We have been working with the
CTU to expose this horrendous
situation.
Finally, the lack of Jobs for All
was highlighted for our union with
the announcement of the closure
of Summit Wool Spinners in
Oamaru. A few weeks later, on
behalf of FIRST Union, I presented our submission to the Parliamentary
Inquiry
into
Manufacturing. I was able to
point out how the high dollar is
destroying jobs in our two manufacturing sectors of textiles and
wood processing. Summit is just
the latest example.
Decent work is certainly now on
the public agenda in this country.
We must use the next few months
to increase awareness even more
and start gaining some victories so
more workers in New Zealand are
able to have Decent Work and
Decent Lives.
—“Agnes Writes to FIRST Union and UNEMIG ”—
Greetings to all
I am grateful for all the support of FIRST Union and
UNEMIG to achieve justice for my case. After supporting me and lodging my case with the Employment Relations Authority the matter has been
settled. I am comfortable with the outcome.
Nowadays I am back in the Philippines running
the family business and in a position to provide for
the needs of my family. My two children were able to
continue schooling. I’m happy to be back home with
my family, my health has gone back to normal and I
have no worries. My life would be different if not for
the Union.
I wish to encourage migrant workers who haven’t
joined a union yet to join the FIRST Union and Union
Network of Migrants (UNEMIG). They aim to
educate migrants about our rights at work and defend
us when we are treated unfairly. Let us not be afraid
to fight for our rights. We just need to air our grievances through these unions which proved to be very
dependable. I am only one of the many distressed
migrant workers whom they have assisted.
I am deeply grateful to this union and I wish more
migrant workers would join them. In times of trouble migrants don’t need to clutch a knife-blade.
We simply need to get in touch with FIRST Union
and UNEMIG.
Respectfully yours
Agnes B. Malijan
SAFELY HOME: Agnes Malijan (front right) back with her family in the Philippines
Page 15
OUTSIDE WORK
Union Express | March–2013
www.firstunion.org.nz
Photos that grab your heart
NOT AT WORK
Good photography is about capturing the essence of people, or
nature, or whatever else the subject is, according to Carolyn
McGillicuddy.
And when it comes to photography the claims officer at AMI
Insurance in Masterton knows a
thing or two.
Carolyn has been taking photographs all her life but about 10
years ago she got a lot more serious about it after taking some
photos she really liked.
“I downloaded a couple of photos that the lighting was just special in. Sometimes you catch a
moment and when you see it on
the screen you think aaah! It’s a
magical moment and it grabs you
by the heart,” she said.
She must have captured a few
such magic moments over the
years because when she held a
photo exhibition in Carterton
with fellow photographer Richard Clark about five years ago it
was very successful, surprising
her at what she could sell, and the
prices she got.
If there is a theme to Carolyn’s
photography it is taking photos
of family events and capturing
images of people doing interesting things at social events.
So it’s not surprising she
has accompanied her workmates to Wellington and
taken photos of them while
they take part in the Round
the Bays run.
“I ended up taking photos
of all sorts of things people
were doing, not just my workmates,” she said.
Carolyn has a lot of ideas
for the future but she is too
busy with work and family
life to spend a lot of time on
her photography at the
moment. Nevertheless she
clearly enjoys the time she
can put into it.
“Photography is a very
relaxing thing; it almost puts
you into a trance like state,
it’s very meditative,” she said.
MAGIC MOMENT: Young woman captured in photo by Carolyn
GIFT VOUCHER CAPTION COMPETITION
Send your photo captions to: email [email protected] or postal to
Private Bag 92904, Auckland. The winner receives two gift vouchers.
LETTERS &
Sending Artwork
protecting
the underdog
THE LION Carolyn McGillicuddy with lion.
SMO | KO | DU SUDOKU (Medium)
Each row
contains
the number
1 to 9, each
column must
contain the
numbers 1
to 9 and each
set of 3 x 3
boxes must
contain the
numbers 1
to 9.
Solution at: http://www.sudokutoday.com/medium-sudoku-puzzle-i52-answers.html
ACC ISSUES?
0800 4 UNION
FIRST Member
Support Centre
0800 863 477
(0800 486 466)
—Contributions and artwork—
Your letters are
welcome.
Please keep them brief
and no more than 200
words long. Include
your name, home
address and daytime
contact number.
Letters are
acknowledged and
may be edited for
length. Emails are also
welcome and must
include the information
above.
Address letters to:
Letters to the Editor,
Private Bag 92 904,
Onehunga Auckland
or email:
[email protected]
Not the best writer
but got something to
say? Why not dictate
your idea over the
phone? Call 09 622
8439 or txt 021 856 074
for a call back.
FIRST Union’s member support centre is your first port of call. Centre staff work
closely with organisers and are able to answer enquiries regarding your workplace
issues and your collective agreements.Before calling your organiser, please
ring the Member Support Centre first.
The Workplace Injury Advocacy Service can help you
access your ACC entitlements, prepare and provide support
for an ACC meeting, and a safe return to work
Page 16
Our union. Our people
Union Express | March–2013
www.firstunion.org.nz
Mondayising on its way
A private members bill put forward by Labour Party MP David Clark has passed its second reading in Parliament and looks
set to become law despite the National
Party voting against it.
The bill would guarantee a holiday
on Waitangi Day and Anzac Day if
they fall on a Saturday or a Sunday.
Workers and the public almost
unanimously supported the bill in
submissions to the select committee
looking at it but some employers are
not so keen on it with employers in
hospitality being split on the issue and
some retailers strongly opposed.
David Clark said the bill had been
drafted in such a way that no one
would be penalised. If the holiday
falls on a weekend and the day would
GOOD NEWS FOR WORKERS:
otherwise be a working day for an
Labour Party MP David Clark
employee, the public holiday had to be
treated as falling on that day.
Fee increase less than usual
FIRST Union National Executive decided to reduce the automatic fee increase for union
members to 2 per cent for 2013 at its last meeting. A number of years ago the National
Conference of the NDU decided that fees should automatically increase each year by the
average percentage increase that the union achieved in bargaining. This was done to
ensure that instead of a big increase in fees every few years (as had happened), there
would be a small increase each year.
This year the average increase that we achieved in bargaining was 2.75 per cent.
However, in acknowledgement of the difficulty many of our members have in making
ends meet; rather than approving a higher increase, the union’s National Executive
approved an increase of 2 percent.
Snapshot
• 163,000 New Zealanders are unemployed
• The latest Labour Cost Index showed a fall in the average hourly wage from $25.27 to $25.25
• Last year 45 per cent of workers got no pay rise
• Median house prices hit a new record high of $389,000.
• Migration figures for 2012 showed the highest loss of people to Australia since
Statistics New Zealand began recording this in 1979.
• More people left New Zealand permanently to all destinations than any previous year in our history.
AFFORDABLE
New Union Fees from May 2013
The new fees for FIRST Union members from 1 May 2013 will be:
36-40 + hours
$7.40 per week
26-35 hours
$5.60 per week
15-25 hours
$5.05 per week
11-14 hours
$3.75 per week
1-10 hours
$2.40 per week
Associate member
$2.40 per week
Fees for Finance Sector members remain frozen at the rates of $3.05 a
fortnight for those earning less than $15,000 per year, $10.65 a fortnight for
those earning $15,000 – 26,999 per year and $17.85 a fortnight for those
earning $27,000 and more per year as agreed on as part of the amalgamation
of Finsec and NDU.
Note: Where special fees apply members employed in that company will be advised of the new fee.
WILLOWHAVEN
HOLIDAY • PARK
FIRST Members and UnionSave card holders get generous discounts on all accommodation and camping facilities.
illowhaven Holiday
Park is located on the
Western shores of Lake
Rotorua, only 6 kilometres from
Rotorua. It’s a short walk to the
Ngongotaha Shopping Centre and
close to Rotorua’s tourist attractions. Willowhaven provides low
cost accommodation. Our chalets,
tourist flats and cabins have shower
and cooking facilities.
[email protected] Phone +64 7 3574092 Fax +64 7 3575078 Address 31 Beaumonts Rd, Ngongotaha, Rotorua