15 December 2004

Union Leaders Appointed to Food Taskforce

The Government’s Food and Beverage Taskforce is an opportunity for skilled and experienced workers to have a voice in the sector’s development, Council of Trade Unions secretary Carol Beaumont said today.

Carol Beaumont has been appointed to the 18-member taskforce which was announced this afternoon. The National Secretary of the Dairy Workers Union, James Ritchie, is also a member.

Workers had knowledge and experience that was extremely valuable to the sector, Carol Beaumont said. “The taskforce is an opportunity for workers, through their unions, to fully contribute to the sector’s growth.”

The taskforce was also a chance for a co-ordinated approach to investment in skill development and training and to improve pay and working conditions across the industry in order to attract and retain workers, she said.

Unions supported increased productivity through the development of a high skill, high value economy in which the benefits of growth were shared.

“We believe the Taskforce has the potential to deliver on these goals.”

ENDS

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