fair sharenewsNEWS FOR NZNO AND SFWU MEMBERS WORKING IN AGED CARE

WINTER 2012

March 1st this year was the day that the general public first heard about our Oceania members struggle for a fair share. Members from 20 Oceania workplaces took two hours of strike action from 8:30 to 10:30. The action had huge symbolism; those caring for our country’s elderly stopped providing that care. Over the following month the strikes grew in number, length and support, with residents and their families showing their support, other Oceania workplaces and members joining the strikes and links with other workers being forged. In the end Oceania members from 30 workplaces had taken strike action supported by activities from other Oceania workplaces who did not strike.

But the public story of the Oceania campaign would not have been possible without the huge organising work put in by delegates and active members all around the country. Our strength comes from the collective voice of our members, and each and every member who passed on messages about the bargaining, or took part in actions in support of the bargaining took us one step closer to winning a fair collective agreement.

A key success of our agreement with Oceania is the monthly meeting between our unions and Oceania head office. This provides an opportunity to resolve issues that can’t be fixed by the local manager. If you would like to be kept informed about the

Oceania members campaign for a fair share for those who care

outcome of these meetings or want to raise issues, sign up by sending an email to: aucklandaction@nzno.org.nz

For many years now SFWU and NZNO have been saying pay levels in aged care are too low. The pay is not enough for our members to meet their basic needs, let alone enjoy their lives and take part in community and family activities. Other low-paid workers in New Zealand are also struggling to get by.

Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand is a new campaign to achieve a living wage for all workers. All round the world living wage campaigns have brought unions and community organisations together to successfully fight for a living wage for low-paid workers.

SFWU has launched the Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand campaign along with over 60 community organisations, churches and other unions. NZNO was one of the first unions to sign up in support of the campaign.

Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand

What is a living wage?A living wage is the income necessary to provide workers and their families with the basic necessities of life. A living wage will enable all workers to live with dignity and to participate as active citizens in society.

Is the living wage the same as the minimum wage?The minimum wage and the Living Wage are two different things. The minimum wage is decided by the Government. The current minimum wage of $13.50 is not enough to live on. It is not a living wage that enables workers to survive and participate in society.

How can I find out more?Go to www.livingwagenz.org or the Living Wage Aoteroa New Zealand Facebook page and look out for information from your union.

Human Rights Commission Inquiry

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Dr Judy McGregor in her caregiver uniform while

working “undercover”.to experience how life if for

a caregiver

It’s great that the Human Rights Commission have listened to what members have been saying for years - working in aged care is slaverly and it has to change!

The report which came out in May can be read online or you can ask your organiser for more information.

Let’s get the politicians to agree to the recommendations in the report.

NZNO and SFWU completed the 2011-12 round of bargaining with members’ voting in favour of a terms of settlement which delivered a 3.2% pay increase on paid and printed rates, and, all allowances from November 2011 to July 2013.

This was made up of 1.72% from 30.11.11 with an additional 1.48% from 1 July 2012 to 2013.

Come 1st July 2012 the HCA step one rate will increase to 13.82 and the 4th step increasing to $15.10, with the potential for a further $1.04 per hour upon completion ACE 1 (.52cents/hr) , ACE Dementia (.31cents/hr) and ACE advanced (.21cents/hr).

Step one for HCA’s, Activities coordinator, Diversional Therapist and Cleaner/Laundry was also removed, allowing for increased advancement through the salary scale.

Significant progress was also made on increasing the accumulated sick leave to 35 days, additional stop work meeting time in addition to legislative entitlements, tighter controls around non-agreed roster changes, a review of the health and safety policies, the development of a working party to review career pathways and a commitment from Radius that all new employees will be introduced to a union delegate as part of their induction.

The outstanding dispute over Radius failing to pass on the 2010 funding of 1.73% has since been filed in the Employment Court awaiting a hearing date.

Victory settlement for union members

NZNO and SFWU members who work at PSC’s 16 sites in the lower North Island have unanimously voted for a new collective agreement.

The new agreement runs until 30 June 2013 and includes a pay increase of 2 percent, backdated to 1 July 2011. Another 1.48 percent increase comes in to effect on 1 July this year.

Weekend rates have gone up by 20 percent and new wording ensures that everyone is clear about members’ rights to adequate breaks.

A real win is that PSC have agreed to pay for a union member from every workplace to attend training run by the unions. Members will gain skills in how to run site meetings in conjunction with their manager. The training is designed to develop and build confidence, knowledge and leadership.

The unions are also working to include PSC Community Support Workers in the collective agreement. SFWU are currently negotiating a new collective agreement for community support workers and the intention is to have an expiry date in line with the residential agreement. When this is achieved union members will have far greater bargaining power.

The real enthusiasm among our member and the opportunities for our people to develop their skills and be influential in the workplace has been tremendous and rewarding to see. The secret ingredient is simple: he tangata, he tangata, he tangata, it is the people, the people, the people. For our unions that means he mematanga, he mematanga, he mematanga – union membership! It is density, it is density, it is density.

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For more information about joining the union contact New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Phone 0800 28 38 48 www.nzno.org.nz

Service and Food Workers Union Ngā Ringa Tota Phone 0800 86 46 61

www.sfwu.org.nz

The Roger awards are for the worst transnational corporations in New Zealand. It’s an annual event to get media attention about bad companies. The ‘Rogers’ have been going since 1997 and are named after the former Finance Minister Sir Roger Douglas. The winner is selected by evaluation of the judges made on four criteria, “Economic Dominance”; “Impact on people”; “Environmental damage and abuse of animals”; and “Political interference”. This last criteria is judged on the basis of whether the nominee is “running an ideological crusade”.

The 2012 winner Rio Tinto Alcan NZ Ltd (notorious for decades under its previous name of Comalco) has been a regular finalist and was runner up in both the 2009 and 08 Roger Awards. It is the majority owner of the Bluff smelter operated by New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Ltd. In 2011. The Judges’ Report concludes that the company has a 50 year history of “suborning, blackmailing and conning successive New Zealand governments into paying massive subsidies on the smelter’s electricity; dodging tax, and running a brilliantly effective PR machine to present a friendly, socially responsible and thoroughly greenwashed face to the media and the public.

Of the three equal runners up: Westpac (joint winner of the 2005 Roger Award winner, and a finalist in 2009 and 10), was chosen because of “an aggressive profiteering strategy at the expense of bank staff and ordinary borrowers”; Sajo

Oyang because its “crew members have been abused, mistreated and otherwise exploited”; and Oceania because of its exploitation of its minimum wage resthome workers.

The Government won the Accomplice Award because it “seems to have forgotten that the role of the State is not just to make things better for Big Business, or raise taxes but it is also to make and monitor the regulations and processes in order to create a balance to benefit the overall welfare of the population”.

Pam Harris SFWU delegate with Roger Award trophy

Oceania comes second in Roger Award

The Health Select Committee has asked for the unions to provide more information about the aged care charter. Union members will be giving an oral presentation to MPs and Ministers - this is a great opportunity. We’ll be pushing those politicans to step up and make a difference.

Charter Update

Name

SignatureI am a resident

a relative a worker in the aged care sector

a community member other (specify)RegionEmail

Quality care for older New ZealandersI ask the Government to properly fund aged care services in

New Zealand and I support the campaign to achieve:

A New Zealand Nurses Organisation and Service and Food Workers Union: Ngā Ringa Tota campaign

Compulsory safe staffing levels and skill mix so that every

resident gets the care they need, when they need it

Fair pay and conditions for aged care workers so that their

work is respected and paid the same as health workers in

public hospitalsOne nationally recognised training and education

programme for all aged care staff A guarantee that government funding is only used for

nursing and personal care of residents

Because I care,