NDU addresses manufacturing crisis

Media Release: National Distribution Union
Tuesday 19 May 2009

NDU addresses manufacturing crisis

The crisis in the manufacturing sector is the theme of a National Distribution Union (NDU) conference of delegates in Palmerston North over the next two days.

The NDU represents manufacturing workers in the textile, wood and food processing sectors. It is currently involved in the high profile campaign for the rights of it members in the LWR receivership debacle.

“With manufacturing jobs being eliminated every day in the current recession, this conference gives NDU workplace delegates the chance to understand the dynamics of the recession and the current state of manufacturing in NZ,” says Robert Reid, President of the NDU.

“The conference opens with addresses by the Manufacturing and Exporters Association CEO John Walley and new Council of Trade Unions Policy Director, Bill Rosenberg.

“The conference will discuss the outcomes of the recent NZCTU productivity programme and then look at the union response to the recession and redundancies. A speaker from Work and Income will address the conference on the range of initiatives for redundant workers available through that agency.

“On day two the conference discusses the launch of a union “Make it Here” campaign and then hear from Sue Bradford MP on the Green New Deal proposal of the Green Party.

“A textile sector workshop will meet with Elizabeth Tennet, the new CEO of Textiles NZ and a wood sector workshop will discuss developments with Peter Bodeker from the Wood Processors Association.

“The goal of the conference is to come up some concrete actions that the NDU, its delegates and members can take to turn around the fortunes of the manufacturing sector and see jobs retained and created instead of the avalanche of redundancies that we are currently facing,” says Robert Reid.

ENDS

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