This is the text from a leaflet. They will be printing 20,000 copies. Comment from the EPMU delegate who forwarded it to me: “Not what I was looking for, but worth a look.”
SIDE ONE:
DEMAND FAIRNESS
AT WORK
Your rights are under attack
The National Party promised change – but change should be for the better
They have attacked workers’ rights from the start and it’s serious
Contact your union
Go to www.fairness.org.nz
for more info
We didn’t ask for:
X the 90 Day Fire-at-Will Law
The Government is going to remove everyone’s right to appeal against unfair dismissal in the first 90 days of a new job, not just those in small companies
X our ACC entitlements to be cut
The Government is gutting ACC, cutting back pay-outs, forcing workers back to work before they are better, denying treatment with any excuse they can find, and letting private insurers and case managers in which will cost more and pay out less
X our access to our union in our workplace to be cut
Workers will need their boss’s agreement to have their union come to the workplace. National will let employers decide when members can see their unions at work. Employers will use this to try to stop workers organising. Workers have international human rights to be in a union at work
X our holiday to be sold off
Now the Government wants to let you ‘sell’ your 4th week’s leave back to your employer for cash – opening the door to taking it away altogether
X our every sick day off to be queried
Employers will be able to ask for a medical certificate for even one day off sick – even if your kids are sick!
X our right to regular breaks to be rolled back
The Government has repealed the law on lunch and tea breaks which had only just come in – now you have to negotiate them with your boss again
X our bills to go up with GST
So much for tax cuts – they give a few bucks with one hand and GST price rises take away with the other
X our kids’ early education charges to be hiked
Families will have to fork out more money to keep their kids in early childhood centres and kindergartens because funding has been cut
X our health services to be cut
Aged Care Home Services are being cut for the elderly. Many are having their services cut
X our night classes to be cut
Adult and Community Education budgets were slashed, cutting our opportunities to develop our skills and get ahead
X our public services to be cut
Cuts to essential public services… border security, conservation, science and research and many more.
3 comments:
Not quite what I was looking for either.
Apart from stating the obvious, what is most striking is the glaring omission of any call to action, or even of any idea of any way forward at all.
Even a call to vote Labour would be an improvement on this.
(it least it would be some sort of option for workers to consider) Are the CTU leaders to timid to even forward this option,
unless they have to justify it.
Is this it?
Really, what is the point of this leaflet?
The point of the leaflet is to show that the CTU is ""doing something".
Just as in 1991, the CTU have carefully avoided any demands that the laws not proceed.
They use the formulation"Government is going to remove everyone’s right...etc"
instead of "If these laws were passed they would remove everyone's right..."
Workers who really want this legislation stopped in its tracks will have to go beyond the politics of the CTU
I wonder?
Who is the intended target audience of this leaflet?
This is probably a serviceable information leaflet for the general public, but with no fight back planned, I can't even imagine where or how the CTU intend to distribute this leaflet.
A number might find their way to union notice boards at unionised worksites.
Apart from that, I imagine that bundles and stacks of this leaflet will just lie around gathering dust in union offices and reception areas until eventually unloved and unwanted they are binned.
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