Month: July 2019

IDEA Services stop-work meetings

Dear IDEA members,

Three days of formal hearings in the Employment Relations Authority concluded on Wednesday and we are now awaiting the formal recommendation of the Authority. The hearing was only granted because of your strike action. So well done!

However, no progress was made on our claim for weekend and SSW rates and the employer is still pushing ‘flexibility’. The good news is your strike action and the three day hearing did result in IDEA  backing down on their attempt to gut the health and safety clause and stop their cutting your rights around service reviews. We expect the Authority recommendation early August. This will be considered, along with more strike action at a national series of paid stop-work meetings in August.

Click here to view the meeting schedule.

An update for our Metals members

Following our last update (which you can check out on our website), your bargaining team met for another day of talks on 19 July.

The result was an agreement has been reached for a settlement, subject to ratification, for the renewal of the Metals and Manufacturing MECA for 2019.

The parties are still in discussion to finalise the wording of the new clauses required to meet the amendments to the Employment Relations Act and some new clauses as a result of members’ claims.

Members can look forward to full details of the proposed settlement, and notification of ratification meetings in the near future.

In the meantime, thank you all for your participation and support during the process.

Regards

Your bargaining team.

Free Auckland measles immunisation clinic 20 July

Free measles immunisation clinic, for people who don’t know or who haven’t been vaccinated against measles before.

Clinic details:

Date: Saturday 20th July

Time: 9.00am to 3.30pm

Venue: Waitakere Union Health Centre, in Waitakere Hospital grounds, Lincoln Road, Henderson

Parking: on site, free

Registration (preferred but not essential):  https://whoozin.com/GH4-TRQ-W7T3-KRAQ

There is a Measles outbreak in Auckland with more than 185 cases since February. Don’t be a victim of this highly infectious illness which can be very serious. If you, or anyone in your whanau, aged between 1 – 49 years and have not had one MMR vaccination, come get one FREE.

If you think you have measles, stay home and call your doctor or Healthline on 0800 611 116.

This free community health initiative is provided by Primary Health Organisations: Comprehensive Care, National Hauora Coalition, ProCare.

Links to measles information:

Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS): http://www.arphs.health.nz/public-health-topics/disease-and-illness/measles/

ARPHS Quick guide to measles: http://www.arphs.health.nz/assets/Uploads/Resources/Disease-and-illness/Measles-Mumps-Rubella/Quick-guide-to-measles-20190619.pdf

Ministry of Health: https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/conditions-and-treatments/diseases-and-illnesses/measles and https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/conditions-and-treatments/diseases-and-illnesses/measles/2019-measles-outbreak-information

NZI misses the blindingly obvious

E tū is annoyed by the deliberate misrepresentation of collective bargaining in relation to Fair Pay Agreements by the New Zealand Initiative (NZI), in a report they released today.

The report purports to make the case against the findings of the Fair Pay Agreements Working Group, which was a group of union and business representatives, academics and experts, chaired by former Prime Minister Jim Bolger.

However, as meticulously detailed by the Council of Trade Unions, NZI has cherry-picked claims, ignored crucial evidence, and has not contributed constructively to the discussion on the issue.

E tū National Director of Campaigns Annie Newman said that NZI had completely ignored the main issue.

“Tens of thousands of working New Zealanders are living in poverty, working in industries where tendering processes mean a race to the bottom on wages,” Annie says.

“Fair Pay Agreements will set minimum standards to make sure that paying people poorly is not the way to be competitive. It really is as simple as that.”

Annie pointed to the recent Care and Support (Pay Equity) Settlement Agreement, which won equal pay for everyone in the industry.

“Carers in New Zealand won equal pay through an industry-wide agreement, similar to a Fair Pay Agreement. It was negotiated by unions, businesses, and government, and has lifted over 50,000 people off poverty wages.

“The facts are on our side – even the OECD now officially acknowledges the importance of collective bargaining. International evidence is clear that countries with mechanisms for industry-wide bargaining have better social and economic outcomes.

“However, even when proper analysis is in our favour, the most important thing for E tū members is that they are lifted out of poverty. That means proper wages and conditions, which is exactly what Fair Pay Agreements are all about.”

Annie says that people shouldn’t be tricked into thinking the debate is about different interpretations of economic analysis.

“Our priority areas for Fair Pay Agreements are cleaning and security, where it is blindingly obvious that we need better wages and conditions. Any argument against that, especially one that offers no meaningful solutions, doesn’t deserve the attention of New Zealand workers.”

ENDS

Media enquires: Sam Gribben, 027 204 6329

E tū & Chorus contractors discuss contract cuts

E tū union met today with Visionstream and UCG contractors to discuss big cuts by Chorus to payments for maintenance work on its copper and fibre network north of Auckland.

The changes affect the codes which determine what the contractors are paid, and these have been slashed by almost a third, says E tū Industry Coordinator, Joe Gallagher.

“The contractors were presented with new contracts and told to sign. The rates that determine their pay are set to drop by 30 percent, and they’re not happy,” he says.

“The new contracts also require they are available for work but there is no guarantee they’ll get any.”

Joe says the contractors are already struggling with rising costs and issues with mental health because of the pressures they face.

“All the costs and risks sit with them but many lack the capital to ride out a lean patch.”

Joe says Chorus committed to improving conditions for its contractors and subcontractors after an investigation found many were in breach of minimum employment standards.

He says in the wake of the investigation, Chorus did its own report, which recommended changes to ease pressure on its contractors, but “that’s not what’s happening here”.

“This latest move flies in the face of Chorus’s commitment to ensure the contractors receive a sustainable income.”

Joe says the meeting, which was hosted by the Telecom Contractors Association of New Zealand (TCANZ) discussed how the contractors and the union can work together to achieve better outcomes.

ENDS

For more information, contact:

Joe Gallagher E tū Industry Coordinator ph. 027 591 0015

An update for our Metals members

Dear members,

Your bargaining team met for talks with Metals employers over the last three days – one day of claims and two days of bargaining.

The big issue for us this year is the rise in the minimum wage and the effect this has had on the relativities of paid rates for those covered by the Metals MECA.

There were valuable discussions around how to resolve this and now both parties have agreed on a common approach.

We have adjourned bargaining for the moment while we await the employers’ response on some issues.

There is another day set aside for bargaining on Friday, 19 July but discussions are continuing via video conference.

Regards,

Your bargaining team.