Unite Union is proud to have signed an important and powerful letter to our Prime Minister calling for an end to oil and gas exploration in New Zealand.

The signatories on the Greenpeace-led letter include the Public Service Association, the New Zealand Medical Association, Unite Union, the Public Health Association and Forest and Bird.

We hope that other Unions will join us in calling on the government to follow up on their pre-election comments that climate change is our "nuclear free moment." Unfortunately they have not confirmed an end to exploring for fossil fuels, which need to be left in the ground.

It is ridiculous that the new government plans to use our money to plant a billion (mostly) pine trees whilst continuing to financially support the digging up of fossil fuels. Our government should be supporting workers transitioning to decent, well paid, environmentally and socially positive livelihoods instead.

Here is the full letter

Gary Cranston

Fast Food Lead Organiser, Auckland and Northland

Climate justice spokesperson

Hi to all Unite Union members at McDonald's, Restaurant Brands, BK and Wendy's.

On April 1 this year the minimum wage will go up 75 cents to $16.50 an hour.

For McDonald's and Restaurant Brands workers, their rates will increase another 10 cents an hour on top of that to make an 85 cent increase. We negotiated a ten cents an hour increase above the minimum last year as well, which means the start rate at McDonald's and Restaurant Brand's will move to $16.70 an hour.

We are close to finishing negotiation for Wendy's and BK workers and both companies have promised to start their start at 10 cents above the minimum each year as well.

On March 8^th every year we celebrate

On 27 March 2018 the oil and gas industry is holding its annual business conference. Government ministers are lobbied, businesses network and oil and gas exploration permits are announced. Even though the global oil industry can’t use the oil we already know about without pushing the planet's atmosphere into runaway climate chaos.

By Mike Treen, Unite Union National Director

(Reprinted from The Daily Blog)

The fact that half the prison population in New Zealand is Maori is simply a national scandal that must be ended.

Many Maori are in prison for being poor ie unable to pay fines the wealthy have no trouble paying or victims of laws that shouldn’t be there in the first place like those criminalising cannabis possession.

It simply a fact that Maori are subject to racist discrimination at every stage of the so-called justice system. You are more likely to be stopped in the street if you are brown, more likely to be arrested once stopped, more likely to face more serious charges if prosecuted, more likely to have no legal representation if in court, more likely to be convicted, more likely to be imprisoned, more likely to receive a lengthy sentence.

Media Release - Migrant Workers Association

Justice for Chinese students- Migrant Lives Matter

Meeting at UNITE Union headquarters 7:00pm this Thursday and protest 2:00pm Friday at 280 Queen St called by the Migrant Workers Association.

A group of Chinese Students are demanding that the government help them after NZQA have closed their school and discovered that the owner has stolen most of their money. The students, who have been told by NZQA that despite paying $14,000 and spending a year studying in New Zealand that their qualifications will not be issued and that NZQA cannot transfer them to another school.

Chinese students are the latest victims of the profit-driven "export education" sector. Better protections are needed.

By Mike Treen, Unite Union National Director

(Reprinted from The Daily Blog)

I am pleased about the government’s proposed changes to the Employment Relations Act.
These initial changes are mostly just reversing the reductions in rights for workers and unions made by the previous National government.

While these changes will make the unions job a little bit easier it will not significantly enhance workers power.
Changes that could potentially do that are planned for later this year and next year. The Labour Party has promised to reinstate the ability of unions to negotiate to end wage inequality for women and is looking at mechanisms to have minimum standards established for whole industries that have in the past ceased to be covered by union collective agreements. These are also potentially much more expensive and will threaten the “fiscal responsibility” rules the government has imposed on itself.

Unite launched the SupersizMyPay.Com campaign in 2003 for what was dubbed the "Unite Combo": Minimum wage increases, ending youth rates and secure hours. 

With more very hot weather on the way, here are some suggestions for things Unite members (whether staff or managers) can do if your workplace gets overheated.

If the air conditioning isn't working properly or the temperatures in your workplace are making you or the employees you supervise feel overheated, nauseous, dizzy, stressed, or so sweaty that you could drop something, then escalate it as a health and safety risk through your health and safe system and management/union. 

How hot is dangerous?

There is no specific temperature that is dangerous - as it can depend on how long you have to work at the temperature and different people have different tolerances to high heat. However, sustained temperatures above 30 degrees celsius will be a health risk to most people.

This is especially important if you or those you supervise are doing physical work or working with equipment that gives out heat, like cookers and gas stations; or if you have a condition that may make you more susceptible to heat. Fainting is common when people get overheated and is a severe risk for injury from resulting falls.

Prevention always best

The key is to deal with the problem before people start feeling unwell.

By Mike Treen, National Director, Unite Union

(Reprinted from The Daily Blog)

The government has opened or will be opening, some doors that will enable unions and other progressive movements to push for far more than is currently being offered.

The decision by the parties making up this government, Labour, NZ First and the Greens to adhere to a position of “fiscal responsibility” means that there will not be any new taxes imposed on the very wealthy for at least three years. The government is also committed to steadily paying off the existing government debt.

This means that the money available to the government to spend is not that much different to what would have been available to the previous National government. This means that very little can be done to fundamentally change the inequality and injustices that abound.

Actually, the government could simply seize the ACC investment fund which last time I looked was over $30 billion and it would have enough money to do almost whatever it wanted. This fund was built up by taxing working people through higher and higher ACC levies over the last few decades as a prelude to the eventual privatisation of the fund.

When ACC was established there was no fund needed to cover liabilities into the future. The system was deliberately established as a “pay as you go” system which meant this year’s liabilities were paid out of this year’s income. There was no need to change to the system we have unless you planned to sell ACC. That was the plan of the National party in the past. That plan no longer exists. The fund does not need to exist. The money should be returned to the people.

So when someone says “we can’t afford it” – that is actually a lie.

A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Unite Union. 

Help when you need it during the holidays

We are very aware that many members will be working through the holidays. We want to make sure both that you can get help from your union if you need it and that you get paid properly – especially for the four public holidays over the next two weeks.

Most Unite staff are on leave and our offices closed until Monday the 8^th January. However, Unite has duty organisers on call every day until then.

If you need our help simply call 0800 2 UNITE (0800 286 483). If no-one answers immediately leave a message with your name, workplace and phone number - this is very important (and speak clearly and slowly when you do this). Someone will call you back within a few hours during the day, or the next morning if you call at night.

You can also email support@unite.org.nz. Again – include your name, workplace and a contact phone number, along with a brief description of your issue.

Getting paid properly for the public holidays