Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

MPs agree there’s much more to do on safety in forestry

MPs agree there’s much more to do on safety in the forestry sector

Politicians have responded with shock to revelations from forestry and wood processing workers at a symposium on the future of work in the industry.

FIRST Union’s Forestry & Wood Processors Symposium 2018 was attended by Union members, delegates and officials, Green Party leader Marama Davidson and Labour list MP in Tauranga Jan Tinetti. The symposium also hosted a panel of industry leaders including WPMA’s Dr. Jon Tanner, Refining NZ Chief Executive Mike Fuge, Professor Göran Roos from Intellectual Capital Services and Greenpeace Executive Director Dr Russel Norman.

Workers told the panels they felt an increase in fatalities in the industry is due to a combination of issues deriving from the competitive contracting models used in forest. They cited decreases in training programmes and an increased pressure to work longer hours and to produce products faster.

FIRST Union Divisional Secretary Jared Abbott, who hosted the event, says suggestions from workers and union delegates made to the panel included several features.

“Workers who had been introduced to the industry through decent jobs in silviculture decades ago were concerned that work conditions around pay and safety had got so bad the sector can only attract migrant workers to fulfil the needs. Workers and officials also voiced the need for the Learners Advisory Group (previously part of the Tertiary Education Commission) to be reinstated to ensure workers have better representation in the training process that includes health and safety.”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

MPs were shocked to hear about how the fragmentation and privatisation of business in the forestry sector has contributed to a lowering of wages, work conditions and wellbeing of workers in the industry. They were concerned to hear processes implemented in an attempt to reintroduce more safety measures has only created more red-tape for forestry workers to implement, yet the fatalities continue.

Mr Abbott says workers remain angry and it’s clear large-scale change is needed.

“The reaction from the panel from workers who’re visibly frustrated has given us renewed hope that workers on the ground will be listened to. It’s clear the hands-off approach doesn’t work and recent attempts to reinstall more safety measures didn’t fix fundamental problems caused by the insecurity of work due to sub-contracting. Workers and groups of workers need to be relieved of the competitive measures that are driving the unsafe behaviour and lack of worker engagement in health and safety initiatives for real change to happen.”


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.