FIRST Union General Secretary Dennis Maga says the proposed changes of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill reverse much of what has been the erosion of workers’ rights over the last decade and that there’s nothing in the proposed changes that hasn’t been done before in New Zealand. On the Multi-Employer Collective Agreements (MECAs) Mr Maga […]
Pak n Save Whakatane staff will not be at work this afternoon (12/09/2018) as they strike over dismal, minimal pay rates. Around 30 employees will instead be picketing the store from 2:30pm with the strike lasting until 4:30pm. Media are invited to attend; King St, Whakatane 3120. The store pays well below the rates offered […]
The Employment and Manufacturers Association and Business New Zealand have released the annual Mood of the Boardroom survey in association with the New Zealand Herald. FIRST Union is concerned about the lack of statistical rigour in the surveys. The options on the question regarding business opinion on the ERA are geared towards a negative result. […]
Changes to employment law in the Employment Relations Amendment Bill are a topic of hot debate, today over 1000 workers showed their support for the proposed changes at Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium. VIDEO: https://vimeo.com/289226763 FIRST Union is carrying out its Stop-Work meetings around the country to update members on the ERA changes. At Auckland’s meeting […]
A new wage deal at Countdown distribution sets the bench mark for triangular employment. Nearly a thousand workers covered by collective agreements at Countdown’s distribution centres (in Christchurch, Palmerston North, and Auckland), will see their hourly wage go to a minimum of $25 this year in a new deal that sets a new bench mark for […]
The below is an excerpt written by FIRST Union organiser Kate Davis during her recent trip to Bangladesh. I awoke early on my first day in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to catch the women walking to work in droves. I must have seen thousands, not a child between them, all walking stoically toward the fenced factory doors, […]
Statistics New Zealand has released its disability figures for the labour market showing disabled people are three times less likely to be in work, and more than twice as likely to be unemployed or underutilised (work part time and would like more work hours). Statistics New Zealand classifies disabled people as being anyone who […]
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Today the National Business Review released its Rich List. For the first time, the combined value of the rich listers has tipped over the $100 billion dollar mark, that’s up 26% from last year’s list. The other side of this story is not such a happy one. Many of the 34 newcomers to […]
Distribution workers at Farmers are taking a stand in solidarity with their labour-hire colleagues who do not receive the protection of the same terms and conditions of permanent work. Some labour-hire employees have been working at the distribution centre for up to five years, doing the same jobs as their full time permanent colleagues (labour-hire […]
