Month: November 2024

Kinleith workers angry about proposal to cut 230 jobs

Posted on November 20, 2024 by - Engineering, Infrastructure, and Extractions

Workers at OJI Fibre Solutions’ Kinleith mill in Tokoroa are hugely disappointed to learn today about a company proposal to end paper manufacturing, which would result in the loss of 230 jobs.

The workers, who are members of E tū, FIRST Union, and AWUNZ, were told about the proposal in a meeting this morning. Head delegate Ian Farall says the proposal demonstrates the failures of the company.

“I think it’s been a long time in the making, but the company has known it was going to get to this point, and have mismanaged the whole process,” Ian says.

“We’re all very disappointed by their inability to turn it around. They can’t control what the market does, but they could have been much better prepared for this point in the cycle.

“There have been many problems at the mill, they have not kept up with maintenance, and they have not made the right investments to secure a future for paper production.”

Ian says all members are feeling let down.

“There were a lot of angry people in the meeting this morning. People were speaking from the heart, about how disappointed they are. Union members had a near-unanimous vote of no-confidence in the management, to show how frustrated we are. Many chose to simply walk out.

“It’s not just the directly impacted workers who are angry. We’re in unity here, and we know the downstream effects will harm the whole community. It’s the truck drivers, the local cafes and other businesses – many people locally rely on the mill as the heartbeat of south Waikato.”

E tū Negotiation Specialist, Joe Gallagher, has been meeting with the members and management this morning. He calls on the company to do better by their workers.

“OJI have got themselves into this situation, and they can’t just hang the workers out to dry,” Joe says.

“We don’t believe the company has done everything they can to avoid this outcome. It’s a hell of a thing to tell people with Christmas just around the corner, and we need a longer period of consultation to really understand the potential alternatives to stopping paper production completely.”

Joe says the Government must also step up to support domestic manufacturing.

“The crisis in manufacturing is not simply about unstoppable global market forces. It’s the result of an ineffective energy market, a lack of planning for a Just Transition, and a Government asleep at the wheel.

“We will not become a high-skill, high-wage economy while our political leadership continues with such a hands-off approach to our industries. Kinleith is not the first plant to be in this position recently and it may not be the last.

“Now’s the time for both businesses and the Government to get real about the crisis before us and work to reverse it. That’s the leadership communities like Tokoroa deserve.”

Pike River: 14 years on and far too many of us are being injured at work

Posted on November 19, 2024 by - Engineering, Infrastructure, and Extractions, General, Politics

Statement by Mark Anderson, E tū Engineering, Infrastructure, and Extractives Industry Convenor

E tū acknowledges the anniversary of the 29 workers killed at Pike River. Today in Parliament the Minister of Workplace Relations, ACT MP Brooke van Velden, read out a statement commemorating the miners. While it is right that the House took time to recognise the hurt and pain caused by the explosion and its aftermath, the Government needs to do more honour the legacy of Pike River.  

The Minister’s actions on health and safety show the Minister has failed to understand the lessons of Pike River. Instead of boosting health and safety at work, her party and her Government are looking for ways to water down the protections it has delivered.

The Minister’s motion moved was:

That this House notes that today in 2010, 29 miners lost their lives while at work in the Pike River Mine: express its condolences to family and friends who will forever be profoundly impacted; and thank rescue and support teams for their service on that day and the days that followed.

If we want to honour the workers who died at Pike River, then let’s remember that WorkSafe and the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 were an outcome of the Royal Commission of Enquiry. The true legacy of Pike River is that 14 years on we have managed to reduce serious injuries and deaths at work. But more is needed. The level of danger to workers is still far too high.

According to Stats NZ, last year a quarter of a million people were injured at work with 43,200 serious injuries or deaths. That is 120 serious injuries every day. There were 54 fatal work-related injuries. This is down from the 81 New Zealanders killed in 2022 but it is a fact that workers are still dying and that 43,200 serious injuries is still too many. One worker a week is dying at work in New Zealand.  

Pike River happened because the owners of the mine put potential profit before worker safety. They failed to be good managers. They blew up their business. They killed 29 miners and devastated the West Coast community.

The explosion in the mine was a brutal reminder that health and safety is not a barrier to business and economic progress. Better health and safety protects workers and it improves business productivity. We will have a better economy when we stop killing and injuring people at work.

The Health and Safety at Work Act is a good piece of legislation. It works because it requires everyone at work play a role in health and safety and it because ensures workers have a voice in how health and safety is practiced. Spending more on Worksafe and doing more to improve the Act and improve the guidelines, training and regulations that bring the Act to life must be a priority for every government. We owe it to the miners who died at Pike River to do more.

New report exposes a care sector in crisis

Posted on November 13, 2024 by - Aged care, Community Support, Equal pay

E tū, the union for care and support workers, is releasing a new report into the state of the care and support industry in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Transforming Care report lays out the many problems in the industry, including in residential aged care, home support, disability support, and mental health and addiction support.

The report tells the story of workers with their own voices, including a series of in-depth personal interviews with E tū members, the results of a survey of care and support workers, and support from various stakeholders across the community.

The report was compiled with the help of Dame Judy McGregor, who as first Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner, released the 2012 Caring Counts report, a result of the inquiry into the equal employment opportunity issues in the aged care workforce. Caring Counts was a significant part of the evidence base that lead to the historic equal pay settlement in 2017.

The report will be presented to a government representative by care and support workers, as well as their community supporters.

E tū Assistant National Secretary, Annie Newman, says we have a real crisis in care and support, which needs urgent attention.

“Our report, and our wider Transforming Care campaign, has a focus on three core pillars – the value of care, the standard of care, and the funding of care.

“Workers need to be properly valued, especially through their pay, for their essential work. They need decent conditions to work in, with decent training and the right number of staff to do the work safely. The funding model needs a total overhaul so the interests of carers, those they care for, and their communities are taken into account.

“We know that we can only solve these problems with the input of our whole community, and we are thrilled to have the support of individuals and organisations that share our concerns and are eager to work together for real transformation.”

Transforming-Care-Report-website-1Download

Sistema proposes sacking over 100 workers

Posted on November 11, 2024 by - Manufacturing and food

Workers at Sistema’s Auckland plant are gutted to learn the company intends to cut their 407-strong workforce to 305, meaning 102 people will lose their jobs.

The plastics manufacturer, which produces popular plastic storage products for both domestic and international markets, says the proposal is the result of declining sales and increasing costs.

Ma Roberts, a Sistema worker and E tū Industry Convenor for Manufacturing and Food, says the news is hard to take.

“We’ve known about this possibility for a while, but for many it still seems like a real surprise,” Ma says.

“Work has been slowing down since last year, and we know the production costs have risen for the company. But people rely on this work to get by, and for many workers this job is the best opportunity they have.”

Ma says the workforce is experiencing a sense of dread about the future.

“Many workers have English as a second language and are worried they could have trouble finding new work. We have older workers too, who could struggle. There is a lot of fear around what is to come.

“It is especially hard this close to Christmas, which is a stressful and expensive time for many people. Employees have seen that work has been quiet for a long time now, so it’s a disappointment that this is being brought up right before Christmas when families are under pressure.

“The company has offered voluntary redundancy which is good, but we will need a fair and transparent process to figure out who gets to keep their job, and those who don’t will need as much support from the company as possible.”

E tū Director Georgie Dansey says she understands the position the company is in, but stresses that the company can do a lot to help support the workers who will lose their jobs.

“As we begin consultation around this proposal, the immediate and longer-term interests of affected workers must be front and centre,” Georgie says.

“There are promising early signs that E tū can work with the company to support the workers. For example, they are offering a paid four-week notice period without a requirement to work, and an extra four weeks’ pay after that. This will certainly help people who have lost their jobs to get back on their feet.

“However, we know there is a lot more companies can do in this situation. We’d like to see support for training and skills development, for example help with developing numeracy and literacy to give workers a better shot in the job market.

“This is what a Just Transition is all about – ensuring the effects of industry pressures do not fall unfairly on the shoulders of the people doing the work.”