Growth Plans Need Worker Involvement
“The challenge to Government, business, and unions alike is to take New Zealanders along with strategies for sustainable
growth,” Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.
He was commenting on the Growth and Innovation Framework Report released today which examines indicators of progress in
growth and innovation, and which stresses partnership with business, unions, and local government.
A start had been made on higher levels of investment in skills, social development, and infrastructure, Ross Wilson
said. “The report released today shows we have some way to go.”
The CTU would like to see the Government use its strong fiscal position to lift the level of this investment.
Ross Wilson said that the CTU accepted the responsibility of engaging with Government, business and other groups on a
growth agenda, and recently released a paper on how to improve labour productivity.
“Workers are understandably sceptical of growth strategies after their experiences during the 1990s,” he said.
Unions have been working with business and Government on a number of industry strategies, including in the wood
processing and textiles sectors. But the CTU wanted to see more of these strategies emerge in other industries, Ross
Wilson said.