January 16, 2009
Media Release

Government’s job plan must retain rights – EPMU

The National/Act government’s planned “job summit”must take into account the need to maintain and strengthen work rights for future prosperity says the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union.

The call comes amid concerns amongst union members that the government’s reaction to recession will be to further weaken work rights as it did in the 1990’s.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says strong work rights are the basis of continued wage growth, and improving wages is vital to ensuring the cost of the recession isn’t shouldered by New Zealand’s workers.

“Because of New Zealand’s low wage economy Kiwis have been particularly susceptible to supplementing income with debt and that has made us as vulnerable to this credit-led international recession as anywhere else.

“That means any moves by this government to promote job growth must not be based on reducing work rights and wages but on making sure that already financially-stretched families have the capacity to increase their incomes and their skills.

“The recession is being propelled by worldwide reduced consumer demand, and will be turned around by consumer-led growth, so maintaining and improving the real value of wages is essential if we are to climb out of it.

To do this we will continue to need a strong framework of rights to ensure higher wages and greater security for workers and by making sure that training is available so that we enter the next upswing with increased productive capacity.

“New Zealanders face this recession together and any outcome from this summit will only be meaningful if it makes sure the burden is not left with workers alone.”

The EPMU represents 50,000 New Zealand workers across 11 industries.

ENDS

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