MEDIA RELEASE
NZ Council of Trade Unions - 29 May 2006
Trans-Tasman Food Seminar Historic First
Food industry unions affiliated to the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and the Australian Council of Trade Unions
are gathering in Wellington today and tomorrow in what is an historic first.
The trans tasman food unions seminar, opened by Prime Minister Helen Clark earlier today, is looking at ways unions in
Australia and New Zealand can work together in the food industry, NZCTU Secretary Carol Beaumont said today. This is the
first meeting of its kind between unions in the two countries.
"Our two countries face the same challenges in this sector and there is an increasing commonality of employers across
the Tasman," said Carol Beaumont. "Given the significance of the food industry to both countries, unions felt it was an
important time to be looking at ways of working together better. Workers have a vital interest in the success of this
sector."
"The goal of the seminar is to build relationships between food unions in the two countries, share sector and industry
information and investigate the possibility of joint union campaigns in areas of common interest," said Carol Beaumont.
The meeting concludes in Wellington tomorrow.
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Delegates to the meeting have included the NZ Meat Workers' Union, the NZ Dairy Workers' Union, the Service and Food
Workers' Union, the National Distribution Union and the Engineering, Printing & Manufacturing Union, from New Zealand; and the Australian Meat Industry Employees' Union, the Australian Workers'
Union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union and the National
Union of Workers, from Australia.
ENDS