Author: E tū

Whakatāne Mill confirms closure but opportunities remain

Posted on March 16, 2021 by - Engineering, Infrastructure, and Extractions, Manufacturing and food

The closure of Whakatāne Mill has been confirmed, with over 150 skilled operational workers being made redundant after 85 years of operations.

FIRST Union and E tū say that while vital the impact on the local community will be significant, there is still a chance for a new buyer to repurpose the existing plant and secure crucial infrastructure in New Zealand’s forestry supply chain.

“There are many options for refitting the existing assets to continue manufacturing pulp and paper products,” said Jared Abbott, FIRST Union Secretary for Transport, Logistics and Finance.

“We are inviting potential buyers to ask for our assistance to get the support needed to make the most of the existing skills and infrastructure available.

“There are opportunities in the industry and there is an important role for Government to play in securing the wood supply chain and increasing our manufacturing capacity.”

E tū spokesperson Raymond Wheeler says the announcement of the closure is “devastating” for local industry, including businesses such as scaffolding and engineering.

“We’ve just had the economic impact of the Whakaari (White Island) eruption and COVID-19 on Whakatāne’s tourism industry to contend with, and now the region has been dealt this blow. It’s an enormous hit to the regions and to the eastern Bay of Plenty.”

Raymond says job opportunities in the area are limited, and emphasises the urgency around the Government’s work on an Industry Transformation Plan (ITP) for the forestry and wood processing sector, if local manufacturing is to survive.

ENDS

For more information and comment:
Jared Abbott, 021 617 131
Raymond Wheeler, 027 597 5404

Support grows for workers to be paid 100% through COVID crisis

Posted on March 3, 2021 by - Politics

E tū, the biggest private sector union in Aotearoa New Zealand, says that workers should not lose out on pay when they are required to self-isolate, or otherwise miss work, because of COVID-19.

E tū has been calling for workers’ wages to lead the COVID-19 recovery, with no workers left out of pocket, throughout the pandemic. In a survey sent to all E tū members this week, 94% of respondents agreed that workers should be paid 100% for any time off due to COVID-19 testing, isolation, or Alert Level changes.

The survey also found that only 22% of respondents who had to miss work due to COVID-19 had been properly paid in full, with most others either losing pay or having to use their leave.

Other organisations are joining the call for 100%, even including the National Party, who are now calling for the Government to directly pay workers 100% of their wages when they have to self-isolate.

An E tū member, who prefers to remain anonymous, says she is still waiting to find out if she’ll be paid for a seven-day standdown period during the last lockdown when she was ill and awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test.

“This could have been dealt with two weeks ago when I first emailed my employer – I want to know if I’m covered under the Government’s COVID-19 support schemes or our collective agreement.”

She says she was also asked to return to work after she returned a negative COVID-19 test result, even though she still wasn’t well.

E tū Assistant National Secretary Annie Newman says workers need to feel confident that they will not be penalised financially should they need to stay home to keep themselves and others safe from the virus.

“The most important thing New Zealanders can do to support one another during this time is to ensure that they take all measures possible to protect themselves and others – including taking time off work to self-isolate if that’s required.

“There is a range of financial support available to both businesses and workers, but the Government needs to make sure full-time workers aren’t shouldering the financial burden of not being able to go to work.

“That means workers getting 100% of what they would usually be paid, and not having to use any of their leave.”

Workplaces also need to make sure employees know what assistance they are eligible to receive, she says.

Annie says: “We would urge the Government to go the extra mile here so those who cannot work due to COVID-19 aren’t left out of pocket and can still afford to pay their bills on the support payments available.

“Workers’ wages need to be at the forefront of our recovery, not only in Rebuilding Better after the pandemic, but as we join together in doing our best to keep our fellow Kiwis safe.”

ENDS

For more information and comment:
Annie Newman, 027 204 6340

Government needs to progress transformation plans to save mill

Posted on February 24, 2021 by - Manufacturing and food

E tū is calling on the Government to lend greater support to Aotearoa New Zealand’s local wood processing industry in the wake of the proposal to close Whakatāne Mill.

On Tuesday, the mill’s management presented workers with a proposal to shut the mill by the end of June. The closure would affect around 220 employees, including temporary workers.

E tū spokesperson Raymond Wheeler says the union will be supporting more than 40 more members during the consultation process.

He says the proposed closure lends some urgency to the Government’s work on an Industry Transformation Plan (ITP) for the forestry and wood processing sector, if local manufacturing is to survive.

“We need to see increased support for manufacturing in the regions, particularly in the form of government procurement for local wood products.

“These industries are also a vital part of the community’s economic wellbeing, as many local businesses such as in engineering, scaffolding, and associated industries, rely on a large operation like the Whakatāne Mill for work.”

Raymond says an ITP would enable workers to have more control over their futures by having a say in creating and maintaining decent work, while ensuring that the local manufacturing industry remains viable.

ENDS

For more information and comment:
Raymond Wheeler, 027 597 5404

Election delivers high expectations for working people

Posted on October 20, 2020 by - Politics

E tū congratulates the Labour Party and the Green Party for their respective victories after the preliminary results of General Election 2020.

While the official count is yet to come, Labour have won enough votes to govern alone, and the Greens are back in with more MPs than last term.

E tū Assistant National Secretary Annie Newman says the result is great for workers in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“The Labour and Green parties went into the election campaign with strong policies for workers.

“We congratulate both parties for this result, and in particular, would like to congratulate E tū leader Ibrahim Omer who has been elected as the first African MP to Parliament.”

Annie say the key policies for workers include Fair Pay Agreements, the Living Wage for workers employed by contractors in the state sector, and doubling the minimum sick leave entitlement.

“We calling for Labour’s workplace relations policies to be part of their commitments in the first 100 days.

“We expect them to move quickly on Fair Pay Agreements, which will transform the New Zealand workforce by providing industry standards for many of the country’s most vulnerable workers.”

E tū will continue to put pressure on the Government to deliver for workers and will hold them to account, Annie says.

“We have made more than 13,000 calls to E tū members and have engaged with parties and candidates throughout the campaign to ensure our issues are front and centre.

“We have high expectations for this Government. The election has given them one of the clearest mandates for progressive transformation in living memory.”

ENDS

For more information and comment:
Annie Newman, 027 204 6340

Proposed job cuts risk to workers and community, union says

Posted on October 13, 2020 by - Engineering, Infrastructure, and Extractions

E tū is calling on the country’s only oil refinery to rethink their proposal to cut jobs from their maintenance and emergency teams.

Around 100 workers in total, including those from maintenance, instrument technician, electrical, and emergency services teams could go at Refining New Zealand in Marsden Point, as part of a proposal given to workers on 6 October.

The possible cuts include around a quarter of the small essential maintenance team and almost 50% of the refinery’s emergency services team, which E tū says will increase the risk to workers and the surrounding community alike.

A worker, who remains anonymous, says safety is a big concern.

“The company don’t seem to realise or care how unsafe [things are] becoming because of a lack of maintenance. The reductions in numbers will make it worse.”

E tū organiser Annie Tothill says there is no evidence so far to show that maintenance work has reduced and getting rid of workers will simply place more pressure on those who remain.

“There is a gaping hole for risks if you reduce these already-small teams, as workers may suffer fatigue due to excessive hours and increased stress levels,” she says.

“The proposal to cut the emergency services team to only one worker per shift is also deeply concerning, as it means they would be mostly working alone, including on a night shift.

“This group not only provides assistance at the refinery but is also a recognised local industrial brigade in the region, and trains volunteers and other Fire Emergency personnel from around New Zealand.”

 Annie says the refinery is classed as a top-tier high-hazard facility, and so the company must consult with the community and regional council on proposed changes around health and safety, including emergency functions.

“They have so far provided no evidence or modelling to support their proposal and have no plan to consult with communities yet.

“As long as the refinery continues to operate, we need to continue to invest in the community to ensure decent, safe working conditions, and a top-tier community and national resource, while also considering any future ‘Just Transition’ plan for this group of highly skilled workers.”

ENDS

For more information and comment:
Annie Tothill, 027 573 4934

Promise of new Matariki public holiday welcomed

Posted on September 7, 2020 by - Uncategorized

E tū welcomes the Labour Party’s announcement to make a new public holiday in celebration of Matariki, the Māori New Year.

Official celebrations of Matariki would begin in 2022, to allow the party time to develop the necessary resources and organise public events around the day.

As Matariki follows the lunar calendar, the exact date would change annually but would always fall on either a Monday or Friday during Matariki.

E tū Co President Muriel Tunoho says the proposal is good news and important because it formally recognises Māori knowledge that is already celebrated in communities across Aotearoa.

“The announcement of recognising Matariki as a formal public holiday has been a long journey – one that is welcomed by workers, whānau, and our communities.”

National Convenor Te Runanga o E tū Sharryn Barton says the season is also a time to make a fresh start.

“For me, Matariki is a time of new beginnings and hopefulness as we emerge from the long winter months of hibernation. It welcomes the dawn of new promise and promises yet unfulfilled.”

ENDS

For more information and comment:
Muriel Tunoho, 027 618 5467

Promoting inclusion and equality for all union members

Posted on September 2, 2020 by - Uncategorized

E tū and its Komiti Pasifika group is calling on all members and their communities to come together in the wake of the latest COVID-19 lockdown.

Workers need to know that they should be able to get a test without being disadvantaged at work or having to use up leave in any stand-down period while awaiting test results.

E tū Food and Manufacturing Industry Council Convenor Gadiel Asiata says recent negative narratives centred on Pasefika families who have contracted COVID-19 are deeply hurtful and may make it harder for people to come forward to be tested.

“The current messages have only highlighted discrimination that has been present for generations. However, our community is a place where people love to congregate and come together as one.”

“New Zealand did not ask for this virus, no one did. There is no shame in getting tested if needed,” he says.

Gadiel says members should connect with their union if they are unsure about their rights at work and getting a test.

“We need to look after our aiga, our whānau, our families. In coming together, we are strong.”

E tū Komiti Pasifika coordinator and campaign organiser Fala Haulangi says the union has a zero-tolerance approach to racism.

“There is no place for discrimination of any kind at E tū. We work to be inclusive of every one of our members and their individual preferences and backgrounds.”

Fala says stronger rights for workers, such as Fair Pay Agreements, being paid a living wage and having 10 sick leave days, are key to creating more equal workplaces and societies.

“The importance of these issues has been highlighted again and again during COVID-19, as many of our members have continued to go to work as essential workers.

“E tū is here to support its members and will continue to advocate for decent jobs with no less than the living wage to ensure the health and wellbeing of workers and their communities.”

On Wednesday 2 September at 6pm, E tū will be holding a Facebook Live Zoom meeting for all Komiti Pasifika and E tū members, with guest speakers from the community, including Dr Api Talemaitoga and Manukau ward councillor Fa’anana Efeso Collins.

ENDS

For more information and comment:
Fala Haulangi, 027 204 6332