Pay and conditions

The Council of Trade Unions is backing the campaign by members of the National Distribution Union for fair wages from Farmers Trading Company, following a ‘Skinny Santa’ parade in Auckland today by the workers.

The Council of Trade Unions is welcoming initiatives announced today to give workers more security as the economy slows.

CTU president Helen Kelly said a job search allowance helps to deal with the immediate impact of job losses, and workers would value it.

A retraining allowance will assist long-service workers if they are made redundant says Helen Kelly, Council of Trade Unions' President.

The Labour Party yesterday announced a new retraining allowance (on a similar basis to the student allowance) to apply to workers with five or more years' service if they are laid off.

A proposal to looks at guaranteed redundancy payments for workers is a good step forward and deserves cross party support, the Council of Trade Unions said today.

Unions are marking World Day for Decent Work today with a call for employers to take the lead in guaranteeing labour hire workers the same pay and conditions as regular workers, ahead of legislation coming in requiring them to do so.

“It is ironic to see John Key ask Labour to please explain the wage gap with Australia when in fact it blew out in the 1990s under a National-led Government,” CTU Economist Peter Conway said today.

“Workforce shortage issues will continue in the rural sector unless farmers and growers start to develop long term strategies for growing their own workforces,” Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly said today.

The National Party’s billboards would be more honest if they spelt out how they were going to lift wages, Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly said today. 

“National has released an industrial relations policy which cuts worker and union rights, is completely silent on lifting wages, and coupled with other policies will leave workers much worse off.”

The Council of Trade Unions has welcomed a new Bill aimed at giving children 15 years and under legal rights in employment, by requiring them to be employed, not contractors.

A meeting of Maori union leaders in Auckland has declared its support for the rolling strike action being taken by Sky City workers this week.