Media Release

EPMU committed to achieving high quality health and safety systems and outcomes in Canterbury rebuild

The country’s largest private sector union, the EPMU, says it is committed to playing a constructive and leading role in building effective health and safety training systems for workers involved in the rebuild of Christchurch.

The EPMU, along with the Canterbury Employers’ Chambers of Commerce, principal contracting companies, the Stronger Christchurch infrastructure consortium and Site Safe, are behind the Safe Rebuild Canterbury initiative which is funded by the government through the employment relations education fund.

The key focus of Safe Rebuild at this stage has been the establishment of the Champions training programme and in Christchurch today trainees on the latest Champions course will be presented with completion certificates by the Minister of Labour, the Hon Kate Wilkinson.

The Champions course primarily targets sub-contracting companies involved in the residential rebuild, but Safe Rebuild also has a focus on workers in commercial and infrastructure re-construction. Safe Rebuild is on target to have close to 300 people go through the Champions course by the end of June.

“Trainees get on-going support so they can continue to work on building safety systems on the job. We are very keen to ensure there is an integrated and effective approach to getting health and safety systems in place for the rebuild,” says Bill Newson, EPMU national secretary. “Safe Rebuild is an example of the rebuild’s major stakeholders being committed to working together to lift health and safety standards and outcomes.”

“As the rebuild work scales up there’ll be huge numbers of people working in Canterbury. It will be vitally important there’s strong leadership commitment across the sector to ensure that everyone is safe, no matter where they are working. This will require a high level of integration and coordination and Safe Rebuild can play a role in this,” says Mr Newson.

The Minister of Labour will be presenting certificates to Champions trainees at the Belfast Rugby Club clubrooms, 18 March Place, Belfast at midday today. Also in attendance will be Bill Newson and senior officials from the NZ Council of Trade Unions and the CECC.

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