EPMU to run Labour Day campaign

The EPMU will highlight the importance of workers’ rights this Labour Weekend in a media campaign aimed at major newspapers and radio stations across the country.

The campaign will stress the important role union members have played in winning the work rights we have today and continue to play in safeguarding them for the future.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says Labour Day is a good time for union members to think about our role in society.

“Labour Day is about celebrating the eight hour day, but it’s also a time to celebrate all the other work rights that union members have won for all Kiwis. Rights like safe and healthy workplaces, four weeks annual leave, protections against unfair dismissal, the minimum wage, and paid parental leave have all been won by union members standing together at work.

“It’s also a time for us to reflect on modern injustices, like the increasing disparity in incomes between working people and their senior management. Right now we have EPMU members at Telecom struggling to get a decent pay rise despite being paid less than 1% of what the company’s CEO earns.

“At the same time, our work rights are under attack from the National Party and their business allies, who have made it clear they want to remove protections against unfair dismissal in the first 90 days in a new job, privatise ACC and gut health and safety legislation.

“Industry needs to realise that the future will be built on good quality work, good technology and good work practices. But we will never get there if unions and their members don’t even have basic workplace rights in place and respected.”

“We will need to fight hard to protect our work rights in the face of these challenges, but as we saw last year in the campaign against National’s 90 Day No-Rights Bill we can do it if we stand together.”

The print ads will run in the NZ Herald, the Dominion Post, the Press and the Otago Daily Times on Thursday 18 October and Monday 22 October. Radio advertising will run on major stations throughout Labour Weekend.