Engineering News

EPMU involvement in Government funded health and safety initiative for safe Canterbury rebuild

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1300

Building effective health and safety systems for workers involved in the rebuild of Christchurch is a key objective for the country's largest private sector union, the EPMU, which is participating in a government funded health and safety initiative announced today.

The Government is providing $300,000 from the Employment Relations Education Contestable Fund for health and safety initiatives designed to ensure a safe rebuild of Canterbury.

As a major union representing workers in the construction sector, the EPMU will be engaging with construction companies, business groups, health and safety training providers, other unions and government agencies to ensure there are integrated and effective health and safety systems in place for the rebuild.

"This initiative provides a unique opportunity for the rebuild of Christchurch to have a highly co-ordinated and integrated approach to health and safety," says Ged O'Connell, EPMU assistant national secretary. "We are particularly pleased to see Government support for health and safety representative training and support - and the opportunity this provides for the development of a strong worker voice in the drive to achieve high standards of health and safety on all jobs."

Mr O'Connell says the key target groups for the health and safety re-build initiative are the sub-contracting companies who are working in residential, commercial and infrastructure reconstruction.

Designline still open for business

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +1200

Canterbury bus maker Designline has been placed in liquidation, but the doors are still open and workers have agreed to continue on a week-by-week basis.

EPMU assistant national secretary Ged O'Connell says that the union has 60 members at the factory. ‘Although redundancy is still a real possibility, the workers are showing their goodwill by continuing to show up for work,' says O'Connell.

Designline employs around 100 people in Rolleston, 20 km south of Christchurch. A significant number of other local businesses supply products and other goods and services to Designline.

Selwyn District Mayor Kelvin Coe says that he is naturally disappointed that the company is being liquidated. He is confident that there will be other job opportunities in Rolleston for workers who lose their jobs, and says that the region has shown strong development, before and after the Canterbury earthquakes.

O'Connell agrees that there will be other jobs available in the region for members, should they want them. ‘As soon as the story hit the media we were receiving job offers for affected members,' O'Connell says. ‘Good engineers are hard to find.'

At its peak Designline employed about 190 people and made more than 90 per cent of New Zealand's buses.

Asbestos a serious risk in Christchurch clean-up

Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 +1200

Thousands of cases of lung cancer in New Zealand may be the result of asbestos exposure, but the impact of this exposure on workers goes largely undetected and unreported. Lack of protection and awareness is a serious risk, especially for demolition workers and workers in disintegrating asbestos cement buildings.

‘There are very real risks for workers and the general public in the Christchurch clean-up,' says EPMU health and safety officer Fritz Drissner. ‘Despite clear recommendations to the Department of Labour in 2008, there's not been a lot of action on the ground. This whole area is a ticking time-bomb.'

According to a recent report by the National Asbestos Medical Panel, reported cases of mesothelioma (lung cancer linked to asbestos exposure) remain high in New Zealand, and reflect exposure of workers to asbestos in the 1960s and 70s.

Department of Labour Chief Adviser Geraint Emrys says that asbestos could possibly have caused up to ten times as many lung cancers as cases of mesothelioma. ‘If that's the case you've got thousands of cases a year of people dying as a result of asbestos exposure,' says Emrys.

Occupations most at risk of lung cancer include plumbers, fitters, carpenters and asbestos processors. While raw asbestos is no longer imported or processed in New Zealand, workers in these occupations can be exposed to asbestos when working on older houses and buildings.

‘The old Engineers' Union was instrumental in stopping the production of asbestos products back in 1983,' says Drissner. ‘But asbestos still exists in older houses and buildings throughout the Christchurch CBD. Now's the time to ask how workers will be protected from exposure and what measurements will be taken to monitor the effects.'

Building Trades Union working together with EPMU

Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 +1200

The Building Trades Union (BTU) is continuing to progress amalgamation opportunities with EPMU, with the two unions increasingly working together across the country.

Full amalgamation is due to take effect on 1 August this year, to coincide with the retirement of two senior BTU officials. In the meantime the EPMU has an agreement to organise BTU workers in Auckland and Otago/Southland.

The unions already have much in common in the engineering and construction industries, and both unions felt that they could give better value to their members through amalgamation. EPMU can also provide nationwide coverage for members, something that BTU has been unable to do in recent years.

In Christchurch, BTU union officials are working from the EPMU Christchurch office, as the Trades Union Centre is damaged and in the Red Zone. EPMU assistant national secretary Ged O'Connell says that this is evidence of the union's already close working relationship.

‘We're happy to lend a hand,' says O'Connell. ‘That's the way we do things in the union.'

EPMU membership shows signs of growth

Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 +1200

EPMU membership for March 2011 shows signs of growth, with the number of members joining or rejoining over the past month exceeding resignations for the first time this year.

The small increase comes after months of redundancies and falling union figures, with most new sign-ups in aviation and engineering fabrication and building services.

‘Aviation is a growth industry in New Zealand, and we're pleased to see that growth reflected in members joining or rejoining the union,' says EPMU national secretary Andrew Little. ‘Engineering fabrication and building services have always been strong in Auckland, and it's reassuring to see membership growing there as well.'

‘We're pleased to welcome these new members, but we're not out of the woods yet,' cautions Little. ‘Union membership in other industries like manufacturing, postal and logistics and print and media is still falling, and pressure on wages and conditions is fierce.'

With the National government suggesting that New Zealand should get used to competing internationally as a low wage economy, the union's work to improve wages and conditions for its members is more important than ever.

EPMU welcomes General Cable decision to defer Christchurch redundancies

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +1300

The EPMU welcomes today's announcement by General Cable that it will put off planned redundancies in Christchurch for the rest of 2011 following the February earthquake.

"It's good that General Cable recognises the difficult times ahead for employees and their families and is acting responsibly by retaining valuable skilled workers who would not be easy to replace," says EPMU lead organiser Phil Knight.

"Our members at General Cable in Christchurch are still anxious about the prospect of redundancies following in 2012 so we will need to take up their concerns with the company in due course," he says.

"In the meantime we will continue to engage constructively with the company on the remaining issues and encourage other Christchurch-based companies considering redundancies to follow the lead that General Cable is giving on this."

Workers strike for a fair share in Scott Tech's rising profits

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +1300

Forty EPMU members at hi-tech Christchurch firm Scott Technology walked out on strike last week after they rejected the company's pay offer and demanded a fair share in the company's rising profits.

The Dunedin-based company recently reported a net profit for the year of $2.79 million and told shareholders just last week it has over $10 million in new orders.

The workers are demanding a 3.5 percent pay increase over one year, backdated to the collective agreement's expiry of 6 December.

The company had offered a two-year pay increase in three increments of 2 percent that was not backdated.

"Scott Technology is doing well and can afford a decent pay rise at a time when pressures on households could not be greater and are expected to get worse," said EPMU organiser John Kaye.

"The company's offer wouldn't even keep up with the impact of inflation and in the current circumstances is just plain miserable, especially when it is being very bullish in the media about their future prospects," he said.

"Workers at Scott Technology's Dunedin branch immediately voted to support their fellow union members, voting to join them in imposing an overtime ban."

"The company has come through some tough times recently and workers have paid for that with redundancies. Now that things are looking up our members are asking for a fair share in rising company profits into 2011."

Strike action at Scott Technology - The Press

Christchurch line engineers rally outside Orion

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1200

Christchurch power line engineers in the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) held a one hour stop work meeting and rally at 8.30am on 6 August outside Orion Group Ltd to support their claim for a 5% pay rise.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little spoke to around 100 members employed by Connetics, the main contracting company for Orion's Canterbury power network, who attended the rally carrying placards saying "Fair Wages Now", "Where's the Money?" and "Don't Cut My Pay".

"Last year EPMU members at Connetics received a 2% pay increase and this year they have only been offered 1.6%, below the annual rate of inflation," said Andrew Little.

"The 1.6% pay rise on offer is, in effect, a pay cut for our members because inflation is set to rise to 6% next year and GST will go up by 2.5% after 1 October," he said.

"Our members want Orion to know they won't accept the paltry pay offer they've made because it's demonstrably unfair," he said.

"Orion owns one of the top performing networks in the country. In recent years Connetics has returned very high returns to Orion in excess of 15% per annum. Orion itself has consistently performed well, returning a stable profit year to year, this year returning $46 million."

"Orion will also benefit from the cut in company tax the government handed them in the 2010 Budget so we know they can afford to pay more."

"Nothing in the current economic conditions justifies workers having to take what amounts to a pay cut from employers. We need to see real improvements in wages if workers are to avoid a decline in their standard of living and we are to start closing the gap with Australia."

150 Connetics line engineers maintain the power line network across Christchurch and the Canterbury region, 120 of which are EPMU members.

Orion Group Ltd is owned by Christchurch City Council (89.3%) and Selwyn District Council (10.7%) through holding companies.

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Metals MECA settles with pay rise and extra holiday

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +1200

Nearly 2000 engineering and manufacturing workers will have pay increases above inflation and an extra day holiday in 2011 after EPMU members voted overwhelmingly to ratify the Metals and Manufacturing multi-employer collective agreement (MECA) today.

The new agreement provides for a 3% increase on all printed wages and allowances this year, followed by a 3% increase next year, and a one-off holiday to acknowledge that, for the first time, Anzac Day will fall on the same day as the Easter Monday holiday in 2011.

"This is a good outcome for members. Our aim was to get them a pay rise above inflation at a time when prices are rising and the government has announced a GST hike, which will hit workers' pay packets," says Andrew Little, EPMU national secretary.

"EPMU members around the country responded strongly to our argument that they deserve the extra holiday in 2011, so we're pleased the employer parties have agreed this as well," he says.

"The trend-setting Metals agreement is now set to grow, with EPMU members at other sites organising to join its coverage", he says.

"If small to medium enterprises can offer a 3% pay rise and an extra day of holiday then there's no reason why larger, more profitable employers can't do better," he says.

The Metals and Manufacturing MECA is the EPMU's largest multi-employer collective agreement, representing nearly 2000 workers at over 100 firms.

Striking Auckland StelTech engineers win pay rise

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +1200

Auckland StelTech engineers in the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) have won a three percent pay rise from the New Zealand Steel subsidiary following a two week strike.

The strike action was prompted by the company refusing to give the engineers a pay rise for the second year running.

The new agreement is for a pay rise of three percent over 12 months and other improvements including a $3,500 lump sum retention payment paid in two parts and a guarantee the workers will be offered redundancy if the company is sold during the next 12 months.

EPMU organiser Steve Westoby says he's pleased with the result.

"It was important for our members to get a fair pay rise this year after the company scrapped a bonus scheme last year which meant they lost around $10,000 each out of their annual pay packet," he says.

"The best thing about this is that the members held their own for two weeks, gaining ground on both pay and conditions," he says.

The deal was agreed on Friday 25 June in mediation and covers all eleven engineers working for StelTech.