13 May 2011

Media Release

‘Involve working people in rebuilding Christchurch,’ says EPMU

Almost 100 delegates from Christchurch’s largest union are urging central and local government to involve working people in decisions around rebuilding the city they will live in.

In the first union meeting held by EPMU in Christchurch since the February 22 earthquake, delegates called on Government to invest in the local community through training, investment and employment programmes, and to keep all publicly owned assets and companies in public ownership.

In a resolution passed at the forum, delegates urged government agencies to:

‘act democratically by listening to the voices of the working people of Christchurch.’ The call follows the Government’s announcement of a community forum to be formed under the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act, designed to provide information and advice to the new Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA).

Union delegates and other community groups have responded cautiously to the creation of the community forum, to be made up of 20 non-elected persons with a ‘representative role’ in their communities. EPMU union organiser Kelvin Ellis says that the Government’s emphasis on ‘suitably qualified’ persons could exclude some people.

‘There’s been no consultation so far with the union on this,’ says Ellis. ‘Workers have some really good ideas and we know we can contribute. We’re just looking for the opportunity to do so.’

Delegates also challenged the Government to ‘invest in the local community by training, resourcing and employing them to participate fully in the recovery.’

The Government announced additional investment in training and skills for the Canterbury area on the day following the forum. Up to $42 million will be provided in the Budget for trades training for Canterbury, with funding for up to 1500 additional training places to help meet additional demand for labour for the reconstruction programme.

Unions are emphasising the need for a ‘strategic and coordinated approach’ to training and investment. Marty Braithwaite, CTU spokesperson on earthquake-related matters, says that the unions are ‘glad to see resource being put into training and skills development for the Canterbury area.’

‘Cantabrians are resourceful and we want to see as many local people as possible have the opportunity to up-skill in time to play a constructive part in the city’s rebuild.’

Delegates were firm on the need to retain publicly owned assets and companies following the rebuild. ‘EPMU members working for Orion, City Care and the city council have already played a fantastic role in getting the city back onto its feet,’ says Ellis. “After all this effort, we want to make sure that the assets we’ve worked so hard to protect remain in public hands.’

The appointment of Roger Sutton this week (12 May) as Chief Executive of CERA is seen as a positive step forward. Canterbury’s Labour MPs have acknowledged the ‘outstanding leadership’ shown by Roger Sutton as Chief Executive of publicly owned Orion, and his demonstrated commitment to working in an open and transparent way with members of Christchurch’s community.

‘We have a lot of faith in Sutton,’ says EPMU assistant national secretary Ged O’Connell. ‘We’ve had several dealings with him, and we know he’s a person of integrity. We’re confident our people will get a good hearing.’

This is the full text of the resolution passed at the May 11 delegates’ forum.

EPMU Christchurch Delegate Forum Resolution

‘We, the Christchurch delegates of this city’s largest union, call upon central and local government to

1. Act democratically by listening to the voices of the working people of Christchurch as they seek to have a say in the rebuilding of the city that they live in.
2. Invest in the local community by training, resourcing and employing them to participate fully in the recovery of Christchurch.
3. Keep all publicly owned assets and companies in public ownership.”

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