Whether it’s your humble cup of gumboot tea, or your decaf vanilla shot trim latte, when you sit down for your morning cuppa you want to know that the people
who produced it are being treated fairly.
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FIRST Union delegate Graham Wilson has worked at Majestic Textiles for 23 years. “Nearly all of us are in the union and it has always been like that since way before I started,” he said.
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No one was more excited to see six months paid parental leave on the political agenda than FIRST Union delegate Noreen Faasoa, who works at Kmart Botany Downs. Noreen is a doting mum to 14 month old Hope and is five months pregnant with baby number two.
Noreen was able to take eight months total off work when Hope was born, but says "financially, it was not easy.”
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FIRST Union is spreading the union word amongst call centres, with leads being followed up at three major call centres in Auckland, and good progress being made at the Energy Watch call centre. There are now over 30 union members at the site. Bargaining has been initiated, the first stopworking meeting has been scheduled and union fees are now being deducted by the company.
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Research conducted by the BNZ and the Financial Services Institute of Australaisia (FINSIA) shows that 70% of women in the industry aren’t convinced that there is transparency or fair pay between men and women. Over a third thought they were treated differently from their male colleagues and in associated social and work-related activities.
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FIRST Union has called for new anti-loan shark legislation to remove sales targets pressure from the lending process.
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FIRST Union members at Kmart have now voted to ratify their collective agreement. This is a good settlement for members, with a pay increase of 5% on the rate over 14 months (and a little more for Distribution Centre workers), 5 days bereavement leave for immediate family members (3 days for extended family and 1 day for close association), 8 days sick leave and a few other goodies.
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FIRST Union delegates met with Countown management at the end of last month, to discuss important issues for staff at the Joint Consultative Forum.
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