The Jobs Letter No. 169 18 July 2002 Essential Information on an Essential Issue • The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs has met with the employment KEY spokespeople of the main political parties in a special forum held in the Wellington City Council Chambers. The full-day forum was de- MAYORS MEET WITH signed to give the political parties a chance to brief the Mayors on their POLITICAL PARTIES election policies and to answer questions on details. ELECTION 2002 POLICIES All the political parties expressed their support for the Mayors IN A LAND OF PLENTY Taskforce primary goal of ending unemployment by 2005 for all young people under 25 ... and each said they wanted to work in partnership with the Mayors and local government in order to move towards this goal. DIARY But the parties were much more cautious than the Mayors in terms of echoing such a goal in their own election-year policies. 13 June 2002 — The Labour Party has committed itself to a goal of ensuring that, by 2007, all 15-19 year olds will be “... engaged in appropriate education, About 150 jobs go as one of the largest employers in New training, work, or other options which will lead to long-term economic Plymouth, MCK Metals, an- independence and wellbeing”. Steve Maharey says that this goal will be nounces it will sell its copper and brass manufacturing operations. met by putting in place a range of education and training pathways, and Secondary school teachers “... by ensuring that the social assistance system balances the need for threaten to sue school boards for income support, where appropriate, with the opportunity to participate work-related stress if the government does not negotiate in education, training or a job.” better pay and workload deals. Maharey says he had been meeting with the Taskforce chairman and Mayor of Workload pressures are also Christchurch Garry Moore to discuss how the government could better support seeing primary and secondary school principals retire early and the Mayors primary goal which is targeting more people (under 25-yr olds), and this is a disincentive to senior has a shorter deadline than Labour Party policies. However, these meetings teachers to apply for these jobs. School management advisor Mike were interrupted by the announcement of an early election. Maharey told the Whitall says principals are leaving Taskforce that, depending on the outcome of the elections, he would welcome because of burnout, lack of career a continuing conversation over the goals and the timeline, and he would build path, and disillusionment with management aspects of their job. on the base already created by the Memorandum of Understanding reached between the government and the Taskforce. 14 June 2002 — Jim Anderton of the Progressive Coalition (who is expected to return Some social services agencies to Cabinet if a Labour-led government is returned to power) has made report that the number of homeless and transient people a “cornerstone commitment” that all under 20-yr olds will be in has doubled in the last year. The education, training or employment by 2005. Anderton plans to extend Salvation Army in Lower Hutt and the Auckland City Mission report a programmes that have already proved successful in Canterbury to the huge rise in demand for emer- rest of NZ “... to ensure that every school leaver is placed in a job, an gency accommodation. apprenticeship, or training for a job or is furthering their education at 16 June 2002 polytechnic or university.” Demand for skilled farm employ- — The Alliance’s policy is that every person up to the age of 18 will be in ees has lifted South Island farm education, training or work by the year 2005. The Alliance has also wages by between 5 - 15% this year and poaching staff is a taken up the Mayors Taskforce theme of “working towards the zero common problem. Farm consultant waste of people” as the title of a proposed PEP-style work scheme. Ross Cottier says there were 20,000 people employed in the — The Greens have voiced general support for the objectives of the dairy industry in the year 2000 and Mayors Taskforce, but have not established any specific policy of targets estimates are that the industry will require 30,000 staff by 2005. and deadlines. Sue Bradford told the Taskforce that she supported better resourcing of the Mayors Taskforce initiatives. The Jobs Letter — Essential Information and Media Watch on Jobs, Employment, Unemployment, the Future of Work, and related Education and Economic issues. It is published every 2-3 weeks, and is freely available on our website at www.jobsletter.org.nz. We will email you if you want to be notified of the latest issue, or sent the full letter (in PDF format). Paper, posted subscriptions are available at $79 (incl GST, per annum). The Jobs Letter — The National Party says that they will “... ensure that all young people DIARY stay in school until they have well developed plans for the future”. Bob Simcock believes that far too many young people are going from school to a life 18 June 2002 on welfare “... which is a terrible waste of human talent.” 49 foreign-trained doctors qualify — NZ First supports the introduction of military training or community to practice medicine in NZ. They are the first of 250 doctors going service for the young unemployed and first-time offenders — which is through a government bridging a moderation of their 1999 election call for compulsory military training programme that ascertains that they have met NZ standards. for all 18-year olds. Most have arranged their clinical • Mayors attending the special forum with political parties included Sukhi placements in Auckland, which has disappointed Minister of Turner (Mayor of Dunedin), Jenny Brash (Porirua), Tim Shadbolt (Invercargill), Health Annette King who says Paul Matheson (Nelson), Juno Hayes (Clutha), Chas Poynter (Wanganui), Tony that she would like to see them do their placements in rural areas. Arps (Hurunui), Les Probert (Wairoa), Owen O’Connor (Gore), Alan Milne (Kapiti There are now 1,768 people on Coast), Mark Bell-Booth (Palmerton North), John Terris (Hutt), Colin Hammond the artists-on-the-dole scheme (Whakatane), John McIver (for Basil Morrison, Hauraki), Sue Piper (for Kerry called PACE. This is twice the Prendergast, Wellington), and Anne Candy (for Sir Barry Curtis, Manukau). numbers who were on it in January. Since November, 337 Also present were representatives from Local Government NZ and the NZ people on the scheme (19%) have Business Council for Sustainable Development. The Jobs Letter editor, Vivian been placed in jobs, with 74 of those jobs being in the arts. Hutchinson, attended in his capacity as Community Adviser to the Taskforce. Many Singaporean manufacturers • Spokespeople for political parties at the forum included Steve Maharey are relocating in China where (Minister of Social Services and Employment) for the Labour Party, Muriel labour costs are about one-tenth of that in Singapore. The island Newman MP for the Act Party, Sue Bradford MP for the Green Party, Bob nation with a population of about 4 Simcock MP for the National Party, Liz Gordon MP for the Alliance Party, and million has lost over 40,000 jobs Jim Anderton (Minister of Economic Development) for the Progressive Coalition to China over the last five years. Party. No representative from NZ First turned up to the forum. 19 June 2002 Surprisingly — despite that fact that employment issues remain high 250 meatworker jobs are lost as on surveys of voter concerns, and that the Mayors who attended PPCS announces the permanent represent most areas of the country — no mainstream media organi- closure of its modern Blenheim plant. The company says stock sations responded to the invitation to attend and cover the forum. numbers have dwindled as more and more beef and sheep farms in • As the election approaches, political parties are publishing policies the area have been converted to almost daily. Here is an essential summary from the last few weeks on vineyards. what is being promised on employment and social welfare issues. 20 June 2002 • Labour leader Helen Clark has published this year’s “credit card” of New workers are needed in the commitments which include: “Work with all sectors to create an fruit and vegetable industry innovative growing economy with more jobs”; “Keep tertiary education according to Ron Becroft, president of United Fresh. Becroft affordable. Get more teachers into schools”; and “Double the number says graduates are needed in of apprenticeships.” training, research, marketing and production in order to make the • Labour will continue to regionalise employment service delivery with resources fruit and vegetable industry the increasingly directed to front-line service provision. It would focus on the needs next NZ economic success story. of long-term job seekers, mature job seekers, youth and migrants and set the Over the past 20 years there has been a 37% increase in the goal of having 250,000 people participating in industry training by 2007. number of pre-term babies born in Labour will double the number of Modern Apprenticeships to 6,000 by NZ. To the surprise of research- ers, most were born in affluent December 2003 and to continue to expand the scheme after that as well as areas. Researcher Liz Craig says including a further 300 Maori on trade training initiatives in the next year. the reasons for the premature Gateway, a school-to-work transition programme, will be extended to all decile births were inconclusive but several studies have shown 1 to 5 state schools by 2007, as well as providing post-training support for all strong associations between the 13,000 participants in the Skill NZ Youth Training programmes.