August 8, 2008
Media Release

EPMU Wage Drive heads to North Island

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union has completed the South Island leg of its Work Rights Wage Drive with a 400-strong turnout in Nelson and Blenheim today.

More than 3000 members turned out to the South Island leg of the tour, which involves 25 rallies nationwide calling for stronger work rights and higher wages.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says the strong turnout across the nine South Island rallies shows workers are fired up about their work rights this election.

“Work Rights are some of the most important rights we have because they provide the legal foundation all Kiwi workers need to secure fair wages and a decent way of life for themselves and their families.

“The response on the road has been fantastic. Working families are feeling the sharp end of rising food and petrol prices and they know that unless we keep and strengthen our work rights we’re not going to get the pay rises we need to get ahead together.

“Each of the rallies has strongly endorsed the EPMU’s Work Rights Checklist, which sets out the rights New Zealand workers need if we’re to continue to get decent wage rises and calls on all political parties to make work rights and higher wages a priority this election.

“From here we head to the North Island with the next rally in Wellington on Monday, and we only expect support to grow as we continue up the country.”

The EPMU is New Zealand’s largest private sector union, representing 50,000 members across eleven industries.

For more information about the Work Rights Wage Drive visit www.workrights.org.nz.

The Work Rights Checklist can be downloaded at
http://workrights.org.nz/assets/Work-Rights/Work-Rights-Checklistpdf

ENDS

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