“Be kind to supermarket workers this Easter” is the message to Government from the union representing supermarket staff. “We make this call as the Government considers whether or not supermarkets should be open on Easter Friday and Sunday this year,” said Tali Williams, FIRST Union Secretary for Retail, Finance and Commerce. “The Prime Minister said […]
With the possibility of further relaxation to the criteria of businesses considered ‘essential’ and permitted to operate during the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown, FIRST Union is today providing a checklist of minimum working conditions and entitlements that ought to be met if companies will be attempting to claim ‘essential’ status and remain open, including access to […]
FIRST Union welcomes the announcements made by supermarket chains Foodstuffs and Progressive Enterprises that workers will receive lockdown pay increases but is cautioning that the details of these promises matter and all essential workers should be earning a living wage at a minimum on a permanent basis, including those working earlier in the supply chain […]
The Union Network of Migrants (UNEMIG), Migrante Aotearoa and the Indian Workers Association (IWA) have highlighted the difficulties facing migrant workers in New Zealand due to the coronavirus pandemic and are calling on the Government to include protections for migrant workers in any package of measures designed to avoid the worst impacts of the outbreak. […]
The global spread of coronavirus is highlighting major flaws with the ‘gig economy’ and employment law, as workers like Uber drivers are denied basic rights like paid sick leave due to their status as contractors rather than employees. Employers all over the world are encouraging workers to self-isolate or work from home to lessen their […]
Workers at Pak’n’Save Richmond and New World Centre City in Dunedin are taking industrial action today as part of their struggle for living wages and better employment conditions, FIRST Union said today. After waiting over three years to sign a collective agreement that would enable comparable pay and conditions to their colleagues in the North […]
NZ Bus drivers in Auckland will continue industrial action via rolling strikes from tomorrow morning after the company declined the unions’ offer to meet for bargaining yesterday. “Unfortunately, we have made very little progress with the company since they suspended drivers en masse last December, and this week’s industrial action reflects the bus drivers’ ongoing […]
A combination of common sense, empathy and practicality is required from employers in New Zealand to help halt any spreading of coronavirus and look after the retail workers who could end up putting themselves in harm’s way, FIRST Union said today. “There’s a tension and a very real risk here for retail workers, who often […]
The Government needs to look no further than the Welfare Expert Advisory Group’s report when considering how to effectively use the social welfare system to assist workers laid off due to the impact of the coronavirus (Covid 19), said FIRST Union President Robert Reid. Mr Reid was a member of the WEAG, and FIRST Union […]
