EPMU to launch Wage Drive and Work Rights Policy

25 July, 2008

The first of the EPMU's 25 Work Rights Wage Drive rallies kicks off in Christchurch next Friday at Addington raceway.

The mass member rallies will be held around the country during August to promote the importance of Work Rights for Kiwis who want to negotiate better wages and conditions and safer workplaces.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says union members understand the importance of work rights more than most.

"Every time our members take strike action to get a fair deal or get their union to prosecute an unfair dismissal or an unsafe work practice they are exercising their work rights and they know that."

"Unfortunately many Kiwi workers for whatever reason aren't part of a union and don't have the same protection and benefits union members enjoy," says Little, "that's why we're holding these rallies, so our members can stand strong and draw attention to the importance of having a decent set of legal rights and protections."

Little says that issues like the Employers and Manufacturers Association's campaign against fairer Kiwisaver rules show that there is still pressure out there to reduce rights for workers and cut wages.

"We have long seen Kiwisaver as an industrial issue and it's been our organised industrial strength that has allowed us to ensure that our members haven't lost their employer contributions," says Little.

The EPMU will be using the first rally to launch its Work Rights policy - which will call for the strengthening of rights for Kiwi workers.

For more information about the Wage Drive you can visit www.workrights.org.nz