New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Archives

Government jobs strategy needed

Posted by Scoop | Apr 7, 2016 | New Zealand, News |

Press Release – New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Following on from two large-scale redundancies announced in the past two weeks, new analysis out today from the Reserve Bank shows increased migration is contributing to the reason so many people are out of work.Media release: Council of Trade Unions Government jobs strategy needed Following on from two large-scale redundancies announced in the past two weeks, new analysis out today from the Reserve Bank shows increased migration is contributing to the reason so many people are out of work. The Council of Trade Unions says that the government needs to have a better handle on job creation and job transition. Hundreds of people at NZ Post and Fisher and Paykel have had their livelihoods taken away. What is the government doing to ensure these working people have good, well paid work to move into? “We think there is plenty more the government can be doing to support jobs in New Zealand,” CTU secretary Sam Huggard said. “One very obvious example is to use the significant power of government procurement to support local work. But instead of putting local working people and industries first, the Government has given up some of its ability to support local by agreeing to backward procurement rules in the WTO and through the TPPA, “Not only is high migration contributing to more people out of work,...

Some voices will be heard on TPPA… others not

Posted by Scoop | Mar 4, 2016 | New Zealand, News |

Press Release – New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Some voices will be heard on TPPA others not In February CTU Secretary Sam Huggard wrote to the Parliamentary Committee about the very brief timeline to hear from the public about the TPPA. Yesterday we heard back from the committee that it refused …Some voices will be heard on TPPA… others not In February CTU Secretary Sam Huggard wrote to the Parliamentary Committee about the very brief timeline to hear from the public about the TPPA. “Yesterday we heard back from the committee that it refused to extend the deadline. To quote the email they said ‘The committee did agree to consider any substantive submissions received after that date on a case by case basis.’ So basically only if you or your organisation has an opinion or perspective the committee judges worth listening to then it will hear it,” CTU Director of Policy, Bill Rosenberg said. “We are deeply concerned that the committee will self-select which submissions they will hear. Where is the democracy?” “People are being asked to put considerable work into writing a submission on this complex agreement which even experts are still struggling to fully understand, without the certainty that it will even be considered.” This is after Trade Minister Todd McClay stated publicly that he is “open to the public being given more time to have...

“Undemocratic” timeframe for public opinion on TPPA

Posted by Scoop | Feb 19, 2016 | New Zealand, News |

Press Release – New Zealand Council of Trade Unions The CTU is calling on the Government to genuinely listen to New Zealanders about the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).Government asks public for opinion on TPPA but only gives four weeks The CTU is calling on the Government to genuinely listen to New Zealanders about the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). “The four week period announced for the Select Committee to hear submissions is simply undemocratic,” “Public interest in the TPPA has been high. We have seen the medical, intellectual property, Maori, environmental, local government and many other sectors very active on this issue. These communities need more time to properly make their views known,” CTU Secretary Sam Huggard said. The full text of the letter follows below. Mark Mitchell Chair of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee Parliament Dear Mark, The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi (CTU) has many concerns about the TPPA and intends to make a submission to your inquiry into it. As you know, the CTU has previously made submissions to your committee on similar agreements and raised our longstanding concerns about the processes surrounding the ratification of treaties which exclude effective public input. We are very disappointed that only four weeks have been allowed for submissions, especially given the huge public interest in the TPPA and its complexity which even...

LGBTIQ* people interested in more than just rainbow issues

Posted by Scoop | Feb 16, 2016 | New Zealand, News |

Press Release – New Zealand Council of Trade Unions John Keys glib comment about protesters at Auckland’s Big Gay Out that with all due respect, the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) is not a gay and lesbian issue has upset LGBTIQ* union members.LGBTIQ* people interested in more than just rainbow issues John Key’s glib comment about protesters at Auckland’s Big Gay Out that “with all due respect, the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) is not a gay and lesbian issue” has upset LGBTIQ* union members. CTU Out@ Work Convenor, Karena Brown says, “LGBTIQ* (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, intersex and queer) New Zealanders are not one dimensional cardboard cut outs. We are fully rounded members of our society and our activism does not start and stop at rainbow issues. The Prime Minister seems to be suggesting that LGBTIQ* people should not have or express views on trade or other issues. This is extraordinary!” “Just like all New Zealanders, we will be affected negatively if the TPP is ratified. From education to health to human rights, we will always stand up for what is right.” “Clearly, the Prime Minister does not understand that one of the most profound events of our time, the 1980s HIV and AIDs epidemic, had a devastating impact on the LGBTIQ* community. The TPP will result in more expensive medicines which are harder to access.” “New Zealand deserves a...

Helen Kelly speech – CTU conference 14 October 2015

Posted by Scoop | Oct 14, 2015 | New Zealand, News |

Speech – New Zealand Council of Trade Unions It great to see you all here at our conference and its great we all have this chance to again together reflect on the last couple of years and see what we learned and achieved but most importantly to look forward, set priorities and use the things …Media release: Council of Trade Unions 14 October 2015 Helen Kelly speech – CTU conference 14 October 2015 It great to see you all here at our conference and its great we all have this chance to again together reflect on the last couple of years and see what we learned and achieved but most importantly to look forward, set priorities and use the things we have learned to build a stronger movement. I want to talk about those two things – what we have learned over the last few years and what we might do with that in the future. In 2010 we began to discuss the need for union values to become more widely understood by those NZ communities where understanding of what unions do is almost non-existent. We set a goal that the majority of NZ families would be able to say what a union does and what we stand for. I wouldn’t say we are there yet but if you have a look at some of our campaigns in the...