July 2013, Vol. 4 No. 7 National Labour News National, Economic

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JAMES WILLIAMS, General President - International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Chairman - AIL Labour Advisoury Board VICTOR KAMBER, Vice President - American Income Life Insurance Company, Executive Director - AIL Labour Advisoury Board ROGER SMITH, Chief Executive Officer - American Income Life Insurance Company, President - AIL Labour Advisoury Board DENISE BOWYER, Vice President - American Income Life Insurance Company, Secretary - AIL Labour Advisoury Board DEBBIE ENSTEDT, Vice President International Public Relations - American Income Life Insurance Company STEVE FRIEDLANDER, State General Agent - American Income Life Insurance Company

July 2013, Vol. 4 No. 7

National Labour News

The Government rejected calls by the Council of Trade Unions, forestry workers' unions and the Labour Party for an inquiry into the deaths of four workers earlier this year. Labour Minister Simon Bridges said the new stand-along workplace health and safety agency that will be created will take a hard look at the forestry industry. The new agency, WorkSafe New Zealand, will be established under legislation that's going through parliament. Bridges said the agency will be operational by December. CTU President Helen Kelly recently charged that Bridges gave "a misleading report" to parliament that the current code of practice in forestry "is working." "This statement from the Minster certainly does not reflect the very concerning discussion we had with the forest workers at the worksite. The workers told us that they believed many workers in the region were working in very dangerous conditions," she said. After 10 months of consultation, the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety recently reported that current workplace safety and health systems were not fit, citing "a number of significant weaknesses" that needed addressing.

New Zealand unions "welcomed" government efforts to provide greater protection to migrant workers and penalize employers in certain circumstances. Minister of Immigration Michael Woodhouse recently announced legislation and other steps to prevent exploitation of migrant workers. Among other protections, the legislation includes specific offences to apply where employers exploit workers who are holding a temporary work visa. In addition, a migrant worker raising a serious complaint about workplace exploitation will be allowed to remain in New Zealand while the claim is investigated. "These measures will make it easier for migrant workers to speak up about exploitation and more likely that employers will face prosecution," said CTU Secretary Peter Conway.

Engineer, Printing & Manufacturing Union called for a corporate manslaughter law in response to sentencing in the Pike River mine disaster case. Judge Jane Farish July 5 awarded $3.41 million in reparation to the families of Pike River victims and survivors. Earlier this year, Pike River Coal was found guilty on nine health and safety charges. Farish blamed the company for causing the explosion that killed 29 men in November 2010 and levied a $760,000 against Pike River which is now in receivership. The union called for the Government to introduce a law which would hold companies criminally liable for violating safety and health laws. "Pike River Coal's directors should not be able to hide behind shabby legal structures and carry on as if nothing ever happened. It's time we had corporate manslaughter laws and personal liability for directors so they can be held accountable for their actions," said EPMU assistant national secretary Ged O'Connell. National, Economic & Political Events

Recent figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development show Kiwis work longer hours than in many other countries, with 13 per cent working more than 50 hours a week. The OECD average is 9 per cent, with only 3 per cent of workers in Denmark working long hours, while Britain (12 per cent), and the United States (11 per cent) follow Kiwi trends. One reason for the trend is smartphone "creep" and other devices which blur the boundaries between work and home, said workplace specialists. Andrea Twaddle, director of employment and resource management law at Hamilton firm DTI, said technology "can be seen as creating potential risks for stress or simply being an unreasonable amount of hours employees work". She predicted cases will eventually end up on court over increasing demands on workers combined with some people's inability to switch off from work.

The Labour Party's New Zealand Council backed rule changes that would set a target of 45 per cent of women candidates in 2014 and 50 per cent by 2017. The proposed selection rule change will be voted on at the party's annual conference in November. But Labour Leader David Shearer came out against the so-called "ban" on male candidates running in some seats. He told the news media that while he had "absolutely support" for the idea of more women MPs in Parliament, "this mechanism in particular, I'm not supportive of it". According to Labour's general secretary, Tim Barnett, the party used its list ranking to address gender imbalance, but also needed to ensure there was some balance in the electorate seats. He said the proposal was from a working party set up after last year's conference, at which the party had set a target of 50 per cent female representation. If adopted, Labour's gender equality rules would be stronger than the Green Party, which has a requirement of no more than 60 per cent of either gender in its top six on the list, and for that ratio to be maintained throughout. International Labour

European unions planned more strikes and protests against austerity budgets and cuts in wages, pension and benefits. Greece's public-sector union called for another wave of strikes on July 8 to protest measures to cut the number of state workers, part of demands made by international creditors in exchange for continued funding. "In a country where unemployment has reached 30 per cent, and 60 per cent for the young, public services are gradually being abolished while the new measures will promote more unemployment and greater poverty of Greek society," the Athens-based Adedy labour union said in an e-mailed statement. Four French unions, meanwhile, recently announced a day of strikes and demonstrations Sept. 10 to protest a retirement system reform proposed by the government. The action is called by the General Confederation of Labour, Workers Force, the Trade Union Confederation and the Solidarity union, said union spokesman Annick Coupé. The unions oppose President François Hollande's plan to increase qualification for full pension benefits from 41 years to 44.

The independent trade unions with the Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions (EFITU) and Egyptian Democratic Labour Congress (EDLC) are strong supporters of the campaign which led to the ouster of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. According to EFITU statement announcing their participation in the June 30 protest against the President, the situation for workers in Egypt has worsened after they played an integral role in removing ousted President Hosni Mubarak from power in 2011. They also criticized the current government for being put on a  Engineer, Printing & Manufacturing Union called for a corporate manslaughter law in response to sentencing in the Pike River mine disaster case. Judge Jane Farish July 5 awarded $3.41 million in reparation to the families of Pike River victims and survivors. Earlier this year, Pike River Coal was found guilty on nine health and safety charges. Farish blamed the company for causing the explosion that killed 29 men in November 2010 and levied a $760,000 against Pike River which is now in receivership. The union called for the Government to introduce a law which would hold companies criminally liable for violating safety and health laws. "Pike River Coal's directors should not be able to hide behind shabby legal structures and carry on as if nothing ever happened. It's time we had corporate manslaughter laws and personal liability for directors so they can be held accountable for their actions," said EPMU assistant national secretary Ged O'Connell. National, Economic & Political Events

The United States suspended preferential trading privileges for Bangladesh because of human rights and worker safety concerns. The action ends duty-free benefits that cover some 5000 products. The decision marked a victory for U.S. labour leaders, who have criticized the labour laws and worker safety in Bangladesh. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said the suspension "sends an important message to our trading partners." The AFL-CIO in 2007 filed a petition with the U.S. seeking an end to trade benefits over labour conditions in Bangladesh. The review was expedited over the deadly industrial accidents, deteriorating labour rights and the April 2012 killing of prominent labour activist Aminul Islam, a case that has not been solved. In making the announcement, President Barack Obama said Bangladesh was not sufficient action to implement internationally recognised worker rights. U.S. action could affect Bangladesh's trading rights with other nations, including the European Union.

Disgruntled Chinese factory workers last month revolted against their American boss over a pay dispute and held him hostage in his office for six days. Chip Starnes, an executive with Florida-based Specialty Medical Supplies, had come to the plant outside Beijing to lay off 30 workers. The conflict was resolved when Starnes reached an agreement with the remaining 100 workers for a new compensation scheme. Starnes had been held in his office along with the plant's Chinese manager and controller. Local authorities provided three meals a day and ensured there was no violence, but did not directly intervene. Chu Lixiang, a local union official representing the workers in talks with Starnes, said the workers believed the plant was going to close and everyone was being laid off. They were demanding the portion of their salaries yet to be paid and a "reasonable" level of compensation before leaving their jobs.

The new Canadian union formed by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP) and the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW) will be named Unifor, the unions reported during a packed news conference May 30. "Unifor will be a union for young workers, those struggling to piece together part-time work and contract jobs, and other precarious working conditions. It will be a union for everyone," said CEP National President Dave Coles. CAW National President Ken Lewenza said, "We're here to show that we will be a strong voice and a positive force for change for working people across this nation," said. The said Unifor Canada was chosen as a name that is "expressive, dynamic, and symbolizes the two unions' aspirations as a new organization: to be united, strong, modern, and forward-looking." The name was picked after a process that spanned several months and involved members, union leadership, communications advisers and community allies Regional and Local Union News

Contact Energy's Rockgas workers in Auckland ended their strike after making progress in negotiations with their employer. FIRST Union organiser Jared Abbott said the strike was supposed to go on for eight weeks, but workers returned to work July 2 just four weeks after it began. The drivers walked off their jobs after months of unsuccessful bargaining. "Although we are still negotiating with the company on the finer details, it does appear that we've managed to find a common ground," Abbott said. He told the news media negotiations would continue. "We've agreed to have a document in place by August 1, so I guess it gives us around three or four weeks to finalise the details of what that document comprises," he said.

 short-term blacklist by the International Labour Organization and for delaying passage of a new law concerning union freedoms. The unions said Morsi attacked workers, claiming in a recent speech, for example, that electricity workers were to blame for the current electricity outage crisis and accused them of bribes.

Amalgamated Workers' Union New Zealand (Southern) secretary Calvin Fisher urged a new inquiry into the troubled expansion plans of Delta Utility Services, whose parent company is Dunedin City Holdings Ltd. Fisher called Delta's expansion "an unmitigated disaster'' for the company and workers. His remarks followed disclosures that the company planned to close its civil construction business which will cost 77 jobs in Dunedin, Central Otago and Southland. Delta's headquarters are in Dunedin and it operates nationwide, delivering essential services to public and private sector customers. The company has spent millions in recent years to acquire smaller companies around the South Island as part of a push to secure more work for Delta. In the past year, almost 150 staff has been made redundant, or were facing layoffs, after closures or cutbacks in Dunedin, Central Otago and Christchurch. ''They've ruined a lot of people's lives, they've buggered up a company that should have been successful in the community, and they've gone and stuck their noses into other regions and made an unmitigated disaster of all of them," Fisher said. "The question has to be asked: Who is responsible?"

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