EPMU backs Redundancy Protection Bill

September 9, 2009
Media Release

EPMU backs Redundancy Protection Bill

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union has joined 14 other unions, political parties and community groups in the “Fair Deal in Hard Times” campaign to back Darien Fenton’s Redundancy Protection Bill and will be mobilising its members in support.

The bill aims to provide a basic level of financial security for all working New Zealanders who are made redundant and is in line with the EPMU’s Work Rights Checklist endorsed by 16,500 union members last year.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says the current lack of redundancy protections in law is a major issue for EPMU members at the moment.

“While most of our members have redundancy agreements, there are still plenty of employers out there who refuse to do the right thing.

“That’s left members of ours like the Telecom lines engineers at Transfield losing their jobs in the middle of a recession with no financial fallback while they try to get back on their feet.

“It’s a disgrace that companies are able to send people out in the cold with no recognition of service, but unfortunately that’s the situation faced by most Kiwi workers including nearly every non-unionised worker.

“Redundancy compensation is necessary because it supports displaced workers between jobs and helps employers by ensuring workers with the right skills are more likely to be in the job market as they are not forced to take the first thing going.

“The EPMU will be mobilising its members on this issue by holding workplace meetings, encouraging members to talk to their local MP, distributing campaign postcards and getting our members to tell their friends and family about this bill and what’s at stake.

“We understand redundancy protections won’t bring our members’ jobs back, but it will allow them to live with some basic security and dignity until they find a new one.

“That’s a right every Kiwi family deserves and it’s why we’re calling on the Government to back the Redundancy Protection Bill to select committee.”

The EPMU is New Zealand’s largest private sector union, representing 45,000 workers across eleven industries.

For more information about the bill visit _www.hardtimes.org.nz

ENDS

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