Employment Relations education funding announced

Twenty-one organisations including unions, employers and education providers have shared in a total of $2 million in the latest round of Employment Relations Education Funding, Labour Minister Margaret Wilson announced today.

The funding, which comes from the Employment Relations Education (ERE) Contestable Fund, aims to promote understanding of how the Employment Relations Act, with its emphasis on good faith and collective bargaining, affects employment relations.

This is the third year money has been made available for ERE programmes and courses. An Advisory Committee made up of union, employer and education sector representatives approves the courses and makes recommendations to the Labour Minister on the allocation of the Fund.

Margaret Wilson said she was pleased with the way the programmes are developing.

“Both unions and employers are working toward increasing their skills and knowledge of employment relationship matters and to have an effective voice in bargaining, which is what the Act is there for.”

Eligible employees can use leave provided under Part 7 of the Employment Relations Act to attend ERE courses. Organisations to receive funding in this 2002/03 round were: Agriculture New Zealand ($100,000), Amalgamated Workers Union ($20,000), Association of University Staff ($39,923), ASTE ($38,474), Business New Zealand (Central) ($515,000), Clothing and Allied Workers Union ($39,488), EPMU ($127,131), Finsec ($85,600), Manufacturing and Construction Workers Union ($16,440), NDU ($118,700), New Zealand Blood Service ($1,762), New Zealand Dairy Workers Union ($36,000), New Zealand Meat Workers Union ($44,337), New Zealand Medical Association ($40,000), New Zealand Waterfront Workers Union ($45,000), NZCTU ($382,321), NZEI ($100,000), Otago-Southland Employers Association ($53,275), PPTA ($85,996), PSA ($2,250) and Te Ata Hou with AMPTEE ($64,463).

Information regarding ERE funding and course approval, and the list of approved courses can be found on the Department of Labour’s Employment Relations Service website: http:// http://www.ers.dol.govt.nz

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