Union news for E tū members May 2019 www.etu.nz Biennial Union Membership Support Meetings If you need any support or advice E tū is holding our Biennial Membership Meetings in September this year. We will about issues at get together to discuss the important work, contact Union issues that matter to our members, with Support to speak all members eligible to attend. with an organiser. There will be a mix of site meetings and local area meetings. The finalised 0800 1 UNION schedule of meetings will be published at (0800 186 466) www.etu.nz/bmm2019 by 1 August, so please visit that page to find details about [email protected] your meeting. National Executive nominations Keen to serve on our union’s National The Northern Region includes Northland, Executive? Now is your chance! Auckland, Bay of Plenty and Waikato. The following E tū National Executive To be eligible for one of these positions, positions are open for nomination: you must live in the region and need to have been a financial member of E tū for at North Island Vice President least 12 months prior to being nominated. South Island Vice President Nominations must be moved and seconded Northern Regional Representative by financial members and would-be Central Regional Representative candidates must state that they wish to be Southern Regional Representative nominated for the position. The Southern Region is the whole of the All nominations must be received by the South Island (plus Stewart and Chatham Returning Officer, Christopher Gordon Islands). ([email protected]), by 5pm, Friday 21 June, along with a short bio of the person The Central Region includes Wellington, being nominated. Wairarapa, Horowhenua, Manawatu, Whanganui, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay and Tai If there is more than one candidate for any Rawhiti/East Coast. position, an election will be held at the E tū Biennial Membership Meetings in September. and you Contents 2 Editorial: Bill Newson 4 Delegate Forums 6 Christchurch terror: the aftermath 7 Member profile: Mobeen Khan 8 Just Transition 9 The Living Wage 10 E tū organising www.etu.nz/join Union Support Presidents This magazine is published by E tū and distributed by post and email Call 0800 1 UNION (0800 186 466) Don Pryde and Muriel Tunoho to union members. Website www.etu.nz National Secretary This magazine is printed by union Email [email protected] Bill Newson members at Pivotal Print. Twitter @EtuUnion 027 538 4246 Editors: Karen Gregory-Hunt Facebook www.facebook.com/EtuUnion [email protected] and Sam Gribben National office Assistant National Secretary Designer: Eleanor McIntyre 7 McGregor Street John Ryall Rongotai, Wellington 027 520 1380 PO Box 14-277 [email protected] Kilbirnie, Wellington 6241 Editorial: Bill Newson Pride and sorrow Bill Newson, National Secretary workers, and trade staff. Others have provided support for the emergency services working in the Welcome to this latest edition of our union magazine wake of the atrocity. and thank you for being an E tū member. The tragedy and the country’s response was fresh in As I write this, I am aware that many of our E tū the minds of our delegates who turned out in strong whānau are still struggling with the sorrowful numbers to our 21 Delegate Forums around the aftermath of the deadly assault on the two country last month. The Forums observed a minute’s Christchurch mosques on 15 March, which resulted silence in commemoration of those murdered and in the deaths of 50 Muslim men, women, and injured, and we have been discussing what we can do children. This has rocked the city and indeed the as a union to call out racism and bigotry to ensure all country, as witnessed by the powerful public working people feel included and respected at work. response as tens of thousands of people turned out for vigils and services to show their support for our I believe New Zealanders have a keen collective Muslim brothers and sisters. sense of respect, tolerance, dignity, and a fair-go for all. This has really shone through in our nation’s Our members are no exception. This tragedy has response. I have also received a huge number of touched our union in a personal way. Firstly, I want messages of support from across the global union to acknowledge E tū member Mohamad Moosid movement, expressing the solidarity of working Mohamedhosen, who was among those murdered people across the world. in this terrorist attack on people at prayer. Other members and staff have also been directly affected As we respond collectively, this is surely a reminder by this atrocity. that we are at our best when we work together in union. Our strong delegate network is testimony to I write with pride as well as sorrow. In this issue, you that. They are at the heart of our strongly democratic will read about our members who have been working union. to support the many services involved in dealing with this tragedy. I would like to thank our E tū members It is important the Government continues to at the hospitals that have worked around the clock to deliver policies which improve your working lives. make sure the victims get the best care possible. This Meaningful lives with decent work and pay are vital includes security, orderlies, cleaners, food service to creating the strong supportive communities we 2 www.etu.nz Editorial: Bill Newson need to promote tolerance and acceptance. It’s about pay rates and conditions negotiated by employer and what’s fair. unions. This is key to driving up real wages. On 6 May, a range of laws took effect which will We are also pleased to be included among the shift the balance in the direction of workers. These signatory parties to the Construction Industry Accord include the right for the union to visit members in a launched by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on 14 workplace, obligations on employers to show good April. This involves a whole-of-industry approach faith in collective bargaining, the return of rest and to addressing issues threatening the sustainability meal breaks, fairer provisions for new employees, of the sector, including employment and income reasonable time for workplace delegates to fulfil their insecurity, health and safety issues, and migrant roles, and fairer outcomes for unjustified dismissals. worker exploitation. Together with initiatives such as the significant I want to close by recognising our Taranaki region increases in the minimum wage, these are delegates who have been very involved in the meaningful improvements for New Zealand working organisation of the Just Transition Summit held in people and mean we are better able to represent the New Plymouth on 9 and 10 May. The Summit is an interests of our members. Ahead lies the campaign important step in developing support for working to secure Fair Pay Agreements. people and their communities as we transition over coming decades from ‘carbon-heavy’ industries and While we will no doubt witness an hysterical and ill- into new carbon-neutral, high value jobs. informed assault on these plans from key employer groups, the fact is that overseas economies that are Thank you again for supporting our union by being most successful at distributing the wealth created at an E tū member. work often have a system of industry-wide minimum Remembering Mohamad Moosid Mohamedhosen E tū is deeply saddened by the death of our member Mohamad Moosid Mohamedhosen, who died in the terror attack at the Linwood Islamic Centre. Mohamad was born in Mauritius, off the coast of Madagascar. He later moved to England where he launched a graphic design company. In Christchurch, he worked for logistics and software company DaifukuBCS and lived in Linwood. He is survived by family in Britain. Our condolences go to them and the friends and workmates he knew E tū remembers Mohamad Moosid here. Mohamedhosen Vale Neil Couling E tū life member Neil Couling has passed away consideration and input was the respect and after illness. Neil was an Engineers Union, EPMU dignity of working people.” and E tū delegate at Kinleith Pulp and Paper Mill since 1981. He was an EPMU National Executive Our condolences to his wife Aroha and to all Neil’s member and Senior Vice President. E tū National family, friends, and union comrades, particularly Secretary Bill Newson said that Neil “played a key to Neil’s daughter, Stand Up Co-convenor and governance role as his union faced the challenges, NZNO organiser Christina Couling, and son in law, changes and transformations of strategic E tū organiser David Kennedy. unionism. At the heart of his hard-working www.etu.nz 3 Delegate Forums Delegate Forums put members in the driver’s seat Our annual round of Delegate Forums have just wrapped up, with thousands of E tū delegates converging up and down the country to discuss union and workplace issues. The jam-packed agenda included a listening workshop, giving delegates the opportunity to discuss what is important for themselves and their workplaces, families and communities. The feedback will inform our union’s democratic decision-making at the highest levels. Cost of living was a significant concern for many of our members. With skyrocketing rents and poor wage growth across many sectors, delegates like Paula O’Reilly said we needed action now. “I’m thinking of how people can’t afford to make ends meet. We need the Government to think of the ones on low incomes before the ones on big incomes,” Paula said. Delegate Kadin Smith 4 www.etu.nz Delegate Forums Delegate Forums began just after the Christchurch atrocity, which remains heavy on our hearts and minds.