What about the workers?

The plan to reconstruct earthquake-shattered Christchurch must include a plan to reconstruct the shattered lives of the people of Christchurch.

The Service and Food Workers Union says the thousands of workers who have lost their jobs because of the earthquake urgently need their livelihoods restored and their lives rebuilt.

SFWU Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leader Len Richards says the Government moves to take charge of the reconstruction of Christchurch must take the lives of the workers of Christchurch into account.

“Thousands of workers’ lives are in ruins and they could be forgiven for thinking they were being consigned to the scrapheap along with the rubble from the ruined buildings of Christchurch,” Len Richards says.

The focus of the newly created Christchurch Employment Recovery Authority (CERA) seems to be on infrastructure, monetary costs and business needs, but the Union says there is scarcely a word about the fate of people who have suffered from the massive loss of jobs and forced migration from Christchurch because of the earthquake.

“What is the Government plan for workers and jobs in Christchurch?” asks Len Richards.

“The loss of more than 500 plus jobs at the Christchurch Casino, one of Canterbury’s largest worksites, is the latest blow to hit Christchurch earthquake-devastated workers. The loss of jobs that has already occurred, plus the inevitable further job losses to come will create huge social costs.”

The Union says CERA’s five-year lifespan must include the implementation of a five-year-plan for government investment in infrastructure and industry with a job retention and job creation focus.

“The Canterbury Economic Recovery Community Forum that is to advise CERA must include workers’ representatives from trade unions. There needs to be genuine bottom-up input from the whole of the community,” Len Richards says.

SFWU, the casino workers’ union, is calling a meeting of all Christchurch casino workers at 11am, Friday, 8 April at the Hornby Workingmen’s Club.

“The Union is advising workers NOT to accept the current, so-called, redundancy package which is no more than the payout for the four-week notice period that the workers were eligible for in any case,” Len Richards says.

The Union is seeking an urgent meeting with casino management to press the case for genuine redundancy compensation, in line with the redundancy provisions at SkyCity Auckland.

Len Richards says casino workers need answers about the future of the casino, the security of their employment, the possibility of relocation allowances, retraining and redeployment options and the broader issues of government action on job retention, income protection and job creation.

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