all Miscellaneous Union news

If you work on any public holiday, you should be paid at least time and a half for the time you actually work and get another day off in lieu.

You are entitled to the greater of:

- relevant daily pay less any penal rates plus half that amount again (time-and-a-half)

- or relevant daily pay including any penal rates

Is it "Otherwise a working day"?

Wages fall….except for union members!

Fri 4 Dec 09

In the past year, union members in New Zealand have achieved pay increases above the rate of inflation while non-unionised workers have seen their pay drop in real terms according to new statistics. Employers usually pass on union negotiated increases to non-union workers - so these figures show that the more unionised a workplace is the better off all of its workers will be.

The majority of workers (52%) got no increase, however it was almost entirely non- unionised workers who didn’t get pay rises. Nearly all non-union workers got an effective pay cut – 50% got 2% less than inflation, a few did even worse.

Unite supports the Auckland Bus Drivers

Tue 13 Oct 09

Fare Pay

Unite members were out supporting locked out bus drivers in Auckland this week. 900 drivers have been locked out indefinitely and over 80,000 commuters have been affected by their employer's hard line. Even the New Zealand Herald editorial criticised the bosses (very unusual).

Find out more about the dispute here

Paid Parental Leave

Tue 13 Oct 09

To be eligible for parental leave the employee:
- Must have been employed by the employer for the 6 months or 12 months before the expected due date of delivery
- Must work at least an average of 10 hours a week, with at least 1 hour in every week or 40 hours in every month
- Must not have been on a previous period of parental leave within the 12 months before the expected due date of delivery.

The 6 month eligibility criteria entitles the employee to:
- 10 days special leave for women during pregnancy
- 14 weeks paid maternity leave
- 1 week unpaid partners/paternity leave

Tsunami Aid Fundraising Social - Friday 16th October at 6pm

Tue 13 Oct 09

Somoan tsunami devastation
When: 6pm, Friday 16th

At: Onehunga Workingmens Club, 158 Onehunga Mall

Organised by: Unite and the National Distribution Union.

Entry: $5 or donation on the night (All donations will go to Appeals in support). BYO and bar on site.

Waharoa Dairy workers battle Open Country Cheese

Fri 9 Oct 09

Unite 2009 AGMs Report

Tue 29 Sep 09

The Unite 2009 AGMs were held in September:

Wellington:
16th September, 2.30pm at the Toi Pōneke Arts Centre,

Christchurch:
17th September, 3pm at the Trade Union Centre

Auckland:
23rd September, 3pm at St Columba Centre, Ponsonby

The main Agenda items were:
- Presidents Report
- Secretary’s Report
- 2008-09 Financial Report
- Constitutional Amendments

These reports are available to Unite members on request. Email support@unite.org.nz with your name and membership id number (on your membership card).

- Election of Executive
All positions were filled as follows:

President: Gerard Hehir
Vice President: Liane Henry
Secretary: Matt McCarten
Trustees(2): Mike Treen & David Wheeler

Drop the Rate Mate!

Mon 24 Aug 09

Drop the rate mate

Ever wondered why so many people have to carry two cellphones to be able to text and talk to all their mates?

Unite has got in behind a campaign to stop Telecom and Vodafone’s rip-off charges. The campaign is called “Drop the Rate, Mate!” and it’s in support of a Commerce Commission draft recommendation demanding the Government step in to stop the Telecom and Vodafone MTR rip off urgently. An MTR is the fee charged when you call or text someone on a different network.

Unite supports Telecom engineers fighting for jobs

Mon 24 Aug 09

Unite members have been out this morning supporting the EPMU engineers fighting Telecom for their jobs. Telecom contractor Visionstream are trying to force up to 900 workers into becoming contractors - having to buy their tools, being completely dependent on Visionstream and yet with no guaruntee of ongoing work.

EPMU Lines Engineeers